


IDead: practice works 1

by KisakiRose



Series: Idead: Rambling Series [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: 3 am rambles more than anything, Alpha drops?, Alpha/Omega, Apparently a lot of city life, Assassin - Freeform, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Body Horror, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, I don't hate my characters, I swear I'll find ways to fix things, I think?, I'm terrible when it comes to writer's block., Injury Recovery, Is this why people turn to fanfic?, Jovan's a typical dude, Language Barrier, Last few chapters are going to be oneshots., M/M, Major Character Injury, Major character death - Freeform, Mpreg, Non-human omega/alpha concepts, Not Beta Read, Omega Verse, Panic Attacks, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Apocalypse, Protective Alpha, Quin's a cutie, Rape/Non-con Elements, Red Heat, Schizophrenia, Smut, Stockholm Syndrome, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touch-Starved, Vampires, Well That Got Dark Fast, Yandere, Zombies, bad alpha, cutest dog in the world, doesnt end as planned, drop, extreme isolation, felt like doing this for some reason, little late for the language warning, nothing too serious, omega drop, personal nostalgic overload, practicing omega dynamics, protective omega, sadistic personality, secrets are poorly hidden, so many original characters, totally not a harem, unkillable Geo, whip lash anyone?, zambie! all the zambies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-06-17 02:18:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 100
Words: 167,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15451209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KisakiRose/pseuds/KisakiRose
Summary: This first collection is finished, but the stories are not! So we will be continuing this strange method of storytelling in part two.This is a collection of ABO that's heavy on both plot and warnings. Feel free to rant and question in the comments, highly encouraged actually~Story one follows an overly protective alpha who finds a thrown away omega.(Skylar)Story two follows three omegas that totally aren't in a harem. (Eugene)Story three follows an omega that has a wump-fest and is actually super dark (Donato)Story four is super fluffy (Eugene)Story five follows an assassin who finds a new toy. (dark themes warning)(Severian)Story six is me ruining story one.(Skylar)Story seven is something Halloween flavored. Zombies for everyone~(Surge)Story eight is both fixing and setting up future happenings.(Skylar/Eugene)Story nine Is me trying not to ruin story three.(Donato)Story ten is following Severian and his chaos.(Severian)Story eleven is tooth rotting-ly fluffy.(Quintin)Story twelve has more zoombies!(Surge)Chapters 95-100 are unrelated to eachother, but showcase my method and have a couple teasers.(Skylar/Severian/Surge/Eugene)





	1. Zyane : 1 : Thank Felon

**Author's Note:**

> hello my ninja friends!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the start of Zyane's story. An overly protective Alpha that finds an Omega literally thrown away. Here it starts- where it ends, I don't even know.

What was that ungodly racket? Oh, right, just two alphas cockfighting again. Really? Could they physically not keep it in their pants when ever an omega went into heat? We’re living in a city for god fucking sakes! There is bound to be at least one omega going into heat at any given moment. 

This is why I want to move out to the country. Far away from this nonsense with my beautiful omega. My little wifey. When ever I find them. 

When ever I meet them, I should say.

I was single, have been for quite a while- but still I had more self control than many of those fucktards duking it out in the middle of the marketplace. Dominate growls filled the air, tempting myself to step in and show those young fucks what a true alpha was like. My sight roamed over the crowd, many were omegas. Some of the omegas were alone- and they looked terrified by the display. Quite honestly, I didn’t want to become just another testosterone fueled dick for the weaker to fear.

With that thought, I left the rivalry to be dealt with by the officials. They were being paid by my tax dollars for a reason after all. All I needed was some odd end supplies for dinner, and I would be set for the rest of the week. I wouldn’t have to leave my house except for dog walks and work. 

I worked mainly from home, the amazing antisocial perks of honing the art skills. Still, they wanted me to show my face in the office every so often- half the time I think they were just doing wellness checks on me. 

I had a dog that was taboo for the city life. A pitbull rescue named Felon. Cutest, loyalist dog I could ever dream of. He had scars from his history still painting his face and ears, but he wanted nothing more than belly rubs. 

He deserved all of the belly rubs. 

I looked over the produce at a stall owned by a particularly shy omega. I didn’t even realize this was her store until I began to glance around for the check out. Only a couple onions and a vine of perfect tomatoes occupied my hands as she scurried around the side.

“Let me help.” she chirped, holding a plastic bag open for me. 

“Thank you.” I smiled, I noticed just behind her, a young Alpha was preening himself to swoop in. “Are you here alone?” I asked on a lower breath. Her eyes widened in fear at the question. That told me yes, she was. She stuttered trying to conjure up a believable lie that incorporated some big bad alpha. Anyone that would scare someone like me away.

“Go behind the counter,” I warned, my eyes narrowed on the glint in the horny bastard’s eye. She ducked her head, whining as she did as she was told. Fear was wafting from her- fear of me. She didn’t know what was actually going on. Before she could escape behind the swinging door, the youth caught hold of her waist.

Her yelp caught in her throat. His words were filth as they dripped from his lips. 

“Fuck off.” I warned lowly. This is what was wrong with this city. An omega is alone- thus they must be fair game. This woman was only trying to support herself. She didn’t need this asshole interrupting her day.

“This one yours?” He inclined his head toward her. As if she wasn’t a living thing. An object to be owned. I snorted, I couldn’t even say those words in a lie. I don’t own anyone. Instead I stalked forward, the runt realized that his head only came up to my chest. My cold eyes narrowed on him, the unsaid threat very clear. 

“If she’s yours, just say so.” he scoffed, throwing her against me. He probably just wanted something between the two of us while he turned to escape. I caught the woman in a hug before her knees could give out on her. Her breathing was rapid and short, eyes wet and red from panic filled tears. 

“It’s okay now.” I hushed, holding her shoulders until I trusted that she wouldn’t fall over. 

“Why would you?” she stuttered, she shook her head to try to rid herself of whatever thought was plaguing her. “I don’t have money to repay you… I… I can only.”

“Hey,” I lowered my voice so only she could hear. “I’m not like that, I don’t want anything.” Her beautiful green eyes rested on me, searching my face for what must have been a lie. 

“I’m just glad I was here to stop him.” I snorted slightly, my instincts causing me to look over the crowd once more. Most of the Alphas have moved on to newer targets. The nearest omegas kept glancing back at us. Their eyes wide with worry as their sight flickered between the two of us. 

“Just take the produce than, anything you want.” she sounded more desperate. I raised a hand in surrender.

“Look. I get it. But I’m just gonna pay for this and move on with my day.” I felt a sting of bile building up on the back of my throat. Her sour, sulfur scent of panic was starting to eat away at me. All I wanted was to get away from her at this point. If the officials caught wind of this- they would definitely think I was trying something funny. 

I fished out my wallet, pulling a couple bills free. More than what the veggies cost- but I honestly didn’t care at this point. 

“Here,” I offered, her eyes went wide as she gawked at the cash. “Don’t even worry about change. Just… here.” Like hell was I going to take advantage of an omega. Even for something as simple as this. I was raised better, damn it! 

“Thank you.” she whimpered. She seemed to shake herself out of her stumptor, crinkling the plastic bag in her fist. She reached quickly for a couple apples that happened to be the closest thing to her. Dropped four or five into the bag and held it out to me.

“Thank you.” she shakingly smiled. She didn’t even count the money, just put it into a pocket of her dress as she bowed. I turned abruptly to leave. Omegan eyes were locked to me as I moved through the market. It was like they all knew what I did. I didn’t know if they were questioning my ulterior motive, or if they just honestly were shocked that an alpha can still act human.

This is why I want to leave the city. 

Felon announced my arrival as I was fishing for my apartment key. A smile cracked my face nearly in half when the sixty pound snoot wedged the door open for me. He lunged forward, darting between my legs with excited yips and slobbery kisses. I could barely get the groceries to the table before I knelt to my knees, greeting the white, short haired ball of excitement. 

“Who needs to pee?” I teased, still in the process of being sniffed over and nuzzled up. I looked over the apartment briefly. No toilet paper was dragged out into the hallway this time, but the door was suspiciously open. Other than that, everything seemed in order.

“Were you a good boy?” I continued in the babiest voice I could muster. He was. For an ex-convict deathroll dog, he was the best boy. 

His walks were short. At least they were while I was hungry. We made our way between cooing omegas and sneering alphas until my Felon could sniff around one of the only patches of green in this cement jungle. 

Another reason I want to leave the city. 

I always got mixed reactions over Felon. Some were super supportive. Like… more supportive than helping end cancer, supportive. Then there were the majority of city folk that were offended by Felon’s existence. A dog in an apartment?

An ex-fighting dog alive?! 

I knew what I was getting into when I walked into that shelter and said, “Give me your most difficult dog.” When I saw him, I knew he was coming home with me. And he’s been the best ever since. Minus the few mutilated toilet paper rolls. And there was that one time he got into the linen closet…

All of the toilet paper was dead.

The afternoon was quiet for a city night. Only a few sirens over the course of a few hours, the people seemed to keep their bantering at a minimum. Diner wasn’t burned for once. Granted, something like this- only a complete idiot could ruin it. This would be on the level of burning water. 

My emails were the usual. Some corporate trying to get a cheap commission for an advertisement, which I wouldn’t mind doing all that much. With how little they were willing to pay me, I’ll only half try for them. The other emails were my usual suspects of commissions. Book covers, character design, one that peaked my interest was a concept art for a passive post-apocalyptic game where you played as a zombie. In development of course, probably some small budget programmer group considering they were coming to me for the design. 

Felon broke my work trance by whining the most pathetic sound he could conjure. His glass eyes were fixed to me expectantly. He wanted to go on a walk. The one from earlier was just a teaser. Now he wanted the full deal. It was getting dark out, but this city never actually slept. So I guess a 10:30 at night walk wouldn’t be all that far fetched. Normally he starts complaining earlier, wonder what made him so patient today. 

“Okay, okay.” I chirped to the panting pooch. His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as I paced around to gather my few things. Wallet, keys, phone, jacket: I checked my pockets just to be sure I had everything. Even though I was blind while doing it- I ran my finger through my green strands to fluff up my overgrown mo-hawk. Just a little to make myself feel presentable. My luck, I just made it a lot worse. Felon was circling by the door, whining more demanding now. He was ready- he’s been ready. 

The night was freaking gorgeous! Felon seemed to have the knack for picking the best times to go out too. Not too many people were on the streets, the ones that were looked utterly exhausted and as if they just wanted to get home to their beds. The air was clear, no drunken alphas starting a brawl, no omegas on the corners begging for clients. We were almost half a mile away from our apartment now- taking our usual route. The river that ran through the city was gurgling on our left. The cool mist was just barely able to reach us from the skyscraper directed wind. 

Felon was enjoying every moment of this as he walked obediently at my heel. 

The scent of alpha was carried particularly strongly on one of the breezes, even Felon bristled at it. My expression set to a snarl without my permission as I narrowed my attention to a man that had just turned onto the street farther up from us. He was walking away, his head low for an Alpha- hands jammed into his pockets. This was the heart of the city. Seeing questionable things wasn’t all that unusual. Maybe he was just cold, maybe he had just committed a drug trade. I didn’t care enough to find out. 

His stench was too potent to have done anything legal. Thankfully he turned off the street within the length of a block. Even the pedestrians around me seemed to ease at his departure. The wind carried the calmer scent of the night, with an added sour of nervous omegas and a spice of uprooted alphas. I couldn’t say shit, I wasn’t helping the scent. 

Felon and I stopped by our usual cafe, the owner was a sweet omega, he had his husband in the corner at all times, however. I asked him how he was doing, and the ashy look on his face made me glare down his husband in accusation. The overly bearded man grunted as he stood to meet my eye, not even wavering at the contact. 

“G.. grey says it’s none of our business. But..” the thin man looked between myself and his alpha a few times. He was looking for permission to speak. 

“What happen?” I turned to the omega, his brown eyes wide with worry. 

“It wasn’t me.. I’m okay.” Reyne shook his head when he caught what I was thinking. My shoulders relaxed, his alpha leaned back against the wall- we both had miss read each other. 

“It sounded like a beating in the alleyway. The scent of alpha was so overpowering that I couldn’t even move. Grey had to… to.” When Reyne stuttered against his own breath, the mentioned man glided to the counter, caging his little omega in his arms. 

“An omega probably got punished. It wasn’t our business.” Grey explained curtly. “You know how things go. I know neither of us like it- but I don’t feel like goin’ to jail trying to tell someone how to treat their property.” 

“Wonder if it was the same guy.” I snorted, reaching down to pat away the growing impatience in my dog. 

“Since he’s gone, I kind’a wanna check it out.” I tilted my head toward Felon. “If I do find something, I don’t really wanna drag him into it.” 

“The office is always open for the big guy!” Reyne smiled a little too excited over seeing Felon up close again. “Huh, Big Boy? You’re the real boss around here aren’t ye?” I couldn’t help the smile. Even Grey softened at the sight of his omega cheering up. 

“I’ll be back in a sec.” I nodded to Grey, Reyne already taking my all-too-willing dog hostage into the backroom. I could afford to go to jail. I had Reyne to watch over Felon, and I didn’t have an omega to protect. 

It wasn’t hard to determine which alley it was. Not the one their shop was right on, the next one over. The spiced sting of alpha was fading, but he sulfur of a panicking omega was still strong. Not just sulfur, it was mingling with a rejected cherry medicine type of scent. Pain? Was that the scent omegas used to call for help? 

Blood was the first thing I noticed. The source was thrown among the trash heap. Garbage rounds were in a few hours, it twisted my stomach to wonder if the men would even check if he was in there. He was semi-covered in the refuse, a dark bag bound over his head. It took all of my will to not howl in rage, tear open the nearest jugular in retaliation. 

I lifted the omega out of the filth, he was… alive? I didn’t know how, but he was. The bag he had been shoved into wasn’t tied shut. So by that miracle alone he could breathe. Fuck, he was barely more than a child. He was so tiny, so thin from what I could only assume was neglect. 

Assume neglect? He was thrown away for fuck’s sake! My legs collapsed under me when I knelt to lay him in the alleyway. I didn’t know where to look or how to start. He as bleeding from his chest, his eye was swollen shut with the cheek split, His leg is so dark from bruising- I could only think that it was broken. 

I pulled out my phone, quickly dialing 911. 

“What’s your emergency?” the woman’s voice answered almost instantly.

“I need an ambulance.” I stood, only to pace toward the mouth of the alley to get the road names.

“Alpha or omega?” I could hear her typing

“Omega. What does it matter? He’s about to die!” I took a mental note of the street: Thundercrest and 45th. 

“I’m sorry, omega clinics are closed at this hour. Please try again at 9 am tomorrow.” she didn’t even sound sorry. Just another line she read off of a prompt. 

“What?” I screamed, was that actually a thing? WHY was that a thing? The line went dead. She had ended the call since this was a waste of her time. Omega clinics close? 

What?

I could name three twenty four hour vet offices for Felon, but the city can not have ONE open for an omega? A person who was about to die? An alpha hospital would only refuse him… He’s literally going to die in this trash heap. 

My scent must have pushed everyone to the opposite side of the street. Not a single person crossed the mouth of the alley way as I tried to survey the boy’s wounds once more.

Like hell was I going to let him die in fucking trash. 

He was bleeding, but… it wasn’t as deep as I had first thought. I inspected his skin, the tears. They weren’t very life threatening. They looked like they hurt like hell, and I was still convinced that leg was broken, but they didn’t explain why he was so unresponsive. A hit to the head maybe? There was that nasty black eye. I carefully threaded my fingers through his dark hair, feeling for anything along his scalp. 

Nothing. Not even a knot. I let my fingers glide lower at the base of his skull. 

Raised swellings were heated against my fingertips. His scruff?

He had been scruffed, fucking hard. Teeth broke skin along the back of his neck- rendering him completely helpless. He was thrown away after being scruffed- they wanted him to die by going to the fucking dump! I was confused- I should have been relieved that it was something that I could help him with. Something I knew wasn’t going to kill him. On the other hand- what if I hadn’t come? What if Felon and I had gone on our usual walk and he would have laid here? 

Thrown into a compactor while I sit my happy ass back at home sipping coffee. 

Were there more omegas like him? Are there more out there right now? I looked over the paralyzed boy as I slid my jacket off of my shoulders. I can help him, right now- I need to get my emotions under control. My scent has chased away a city’s worth of pedestrians, it’s not helping him feel safe. An annoyed tick raised in the back of my mind, I raised my phone for 911 once more.

“911 What’s your emergency?’ it was a man’s voice this time.

“I just found a scruffed omega in a dumpster. He’s alive and I know you can’t send an ambulance.” I explained with a tinge of venom in my words.

“Oh my god.” he breathed, his typing sounded like rain as I heard him talking to dispatch almost immediately. “Where in the city?” 

“Thundercrest and 45th.” I’m taking this one home until the fucking clinics open.” I snarled. “Pardon my french.” I added a little late. He only hummed his understanding.

“Officials will be looking into this. Are you sure he’s going to be alright?” the man suddenly sounded like a worried omega to me. 

“I’ll make sure of it.” I breathed a little easier. This man was going to make sure this was taken care of, but I was not about to leave the fate of my omega to chance.

My omega? Well… Yeah, until he gets better- my omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!
> 
> This is just a practice work round, so go ahead: be brutal.


	2. Zyane : 2 : Failure to Communicate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of Zyane's little story.  
> I know I said 4-5 chapters... Probably gonna be more than that.  
> this is what happens when people let me do whatever I want.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy. I know I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> (typed this in a matter of 4 hours with no editing... I'm sorry ahead of time)

I was knelt at his side, my sight running over the abused flesh. I knew that omegas had a hard time, but this? What kind of monster would want to do something like this? I couldn’t handle seeing him naked and sprawled out on the cracked cement any longer. Cradling his head in my palms, I lifted him to sit up against my chest. He was limp, dead weight at the mercy of my strength. All I wanted to do was wrap my jacket around those feeble shoulders. The heavy leather looked odd on such a delicate man, but it was mine. He was wrapped in my scent, my clothes. Even if a horn dog runt of an alpha were to peak an interest- he would know that this little one was off limits. My omega had an alpha that would tear any assailant's ass in half. 

I don’t even know his name. Yet he managed to have me wrapped around his littlest finger. Was this what it was like to have an omega? That protective side of me that already worked overtime was clawing at my awareness. He needed me- and I was going to give him the fucking world. 

I hope he likes me. 

I tucked his nose into the crook of my neck, right against my scent gland. I hoped it was as soothing for some unconscious part of him as it was for me. Having him held this close eased a more feral side- the side that craved blood in retaliation of this kind of treatment: this injustice toward such a helpless class. 

He was light in my arms. I hoped it was because of the adrenaline that was pulsing my veins and not purely how underweight he was. I stayed in the alley, cutting behind the buildings until I came around the back of the coffee shop. The “pure heart” logo was on one of the metalic back doors, a car was parked in the claustrophobic space between the two businesses. 

I managed to knock with my foot, shifting as little as possible to keep the man in my arms stable. Felon howled my arrival. After a moment, a bearded face peered through the cracked entry. His aggressive facade melted into shock as soon as he saw it was me.

“Holy shit.” he spat, throwing the door open. I stepped into the kitchen area of the shop, seeing Reyne pale at the sight of the bundle in my arms.

“He’s alive.” I felt like I had to say. Reyne dashed forward, his omega instincts getting the better of him as he nuzzled himself into the limp palm of the man. 

“It’s okay.” he hushed, I thought he was talking to me at first,but he continued to fuss over the still figure, stroking his hair now.

“I’m Reyne, this is Zyane.” he continued to purr. I wanted to question, only realizing that I really knew nothing about omega’s at all. 

“I can promise that Zyane won’t hurt you.” he let his eyes flicker to me. “He wanted to protect me from my own husband,not half an hour ago.”

“He’s awake?” I breathed, suddenly very aware of our position, the soft breath that washed over my scent gland. 

“Scruffing is terrifying if you’re not with someone you trust.” Reyne whimpered. “You can do absolutely nothing, but remember everything.” 

Reyne knew at first glance that he had been scruffed. He was aware? He knows when he was thrown away- he knows that it’s garbage night. He would have been powerless as he watched those compactors come in on him. I gripped him tighter, willinging my pounding pulse to still. Don’t think on it too much- my scent was already unfamiliar. I didn’t need to add rage into the mix.

“I have some spare clothes.” Grey questioned more than announced. He stood with the oversized jeans and sweatshirt outstretched for me to take. His scent, his clothes. A part of me wanted to swat them away- I was pretty sure he wouldn’t even be surprised if I did. But I couldn’t walk around with my little omega naked like he was. My jacket was huge on him, but it still only covered so much. 

“Thank you,” I resolved, reigning my impulses in. Impulses were what was wrong with this society. Grey let out a surprised grunt, one that I guess was a “You’re welcome” in some kind of fashion. Reyne had pulled a chair out of the office, Felon following exuberantly. The pitbull sniffed the wounded omega over, even going as far as letting a growl rumble in his chest when I moved to peel my jacket from the boy’s shoulders. 

“No.” my voice dropped into a command. Felon stopped, looking up at me in defiance, but let me continue with dressing the boy. 

“Watch what you’re doing.” Grey warned, his voice dark. I raised a brow, turning to see if I could find the reason he was suddenly so hostile towards me. Reyne was sheet white, clinging to the side of Grey. 

“What?” I questioned on a breath, looking over the over all quiet coffee shop. Nothing was there to spook him as he was. I didn’t even scent another alpha except myself and Grey. 

“Your voice you dip shit!” Grey snarled, his arm protectively around his trembling omega.

“Oh.” I suddenly was hit with guilt. “Oh god. I’m sorry.” I stood, my hands out to my long time friend. “Reyne, I wasn’t even… fuck. I haven’t had an omega around in forever- I completely forgot.” 

“Your new toy over there is scruffed, can you imagine what a command would do to him?” Grey lowered himself to press a kiss to his husband’s head. His voice dropped to a whisper as he tried to settle his love. 

I looked over the deathly still omega. I could so easily forget that he was awake. He was terrified. 

“I’m so sorry.” tears tried to escape the corner of my eyes. “Look, it wasn’t at you. I promise. I’m not mad at you.” I didn’t know if what I was saying was helping. I didn’t even know if the command had bothered him to begin with. These one sided conversations left me grasping in the dark. “I’m just.” I started, clearing my throat, “ I’ll be taking you back to my apartment. I’m not expecting anything from you- I just… just don’t want to leave you in the hands of chance. I will take you to an omega hospital, as soon as they open. Hopefully this scruffing thing doesn’t last too long.” 

“Do you need a ride?” Grey questioned after a nudging from Reyne. 

“You have a shop to attend.” granted it was slow- but I didn’t want any omega alone tonight. Any alpha could be a prick and walts on in here and attack Reyne. 

“You’re going to walk home?” Reyne’s voice surprised me- he had recouped quickly. I nodded, we were already on the way back. It wasn’t too far away. Besides, my omega was dressed now. An alpha carrying an omega wasn’t as unusual to see as I kind of wished it as. 

“Can we babysit Felon?” Reyne’s voice sang. I chuckled, god, this guy only talked to me for my freaking dog, I swear.

“If it’s okay with you, it’s okay with me.” I knew Grey was talking to me. In honesty- I probably wouldn’t be able to attend Felon’s needs as well as I would like to if my little omega needed me for more than just a few days. I would definitely be neglecting Felon if this scruffing lasted longer than the morning.

“As long as I eventually get my dog back.” I half teased. “Seriously though guys, thank you.” I tried to smooth out my omega’s black hair before I began to arrange him in my arms once again. A thought crossed my mind. 

“Wait, how do they eat when they’re scruffed?” the looks I got from that question were priceless. Reyne blushed hard, looking away. Grey gave me a lopsided smirk that told me I was going to be teased relentlessly later on.

“They swallow.” He grunted cryptically. They… swallow?... OH. right… some sick fucks enjoy a sex doll more than a partner- they… swallow. I felt my cheeks heat up, my fingers dug a little tighter against their holds. 

“Don’t worry.” I looked the boy in the eye, finally noticing that he could effectively look around. “I won’t be doing that to you.” 

On the walk home, I was hyper aware of every other living thing. Omegas looked at me with fear in their eyes. Alphas either didn’t care, or called out their whistling as I passed. I had the omega tucked against my scent gland before long. The nervousness that came with protecting someone so vulnerable made my alpha go berzerk. I wanted nothing more than to hide him away, nest him in my bed and beat away anything that might even think of hurting him. In a way, that was exactly what I was doing. 

I just got my apartment door open when one of my neighbors called out to me.

“Finally got yourself a decent fuck?” he smirked lustfully towards my omega. “When you’re done, send him my way, would ya?” 

“Fuck off.” I snarled, my eyes burrowing into the vaguely familiar man. 

“What? Did they charge for the hour or for the night?” he bargained, he looked like he was about to dare touch my omega.

“I said, fuck off.” I had to force my legs to move into the apartment- if I lingered any longer, that alpha would no longer have a head. My home was very quiet without the sixty pounds of lovable moose that normally gets in the way. But I guess we needed quiet more than anything at the moment. I maneuvered to my bedroom to lay my omega on the full sized mattress. I hummed to him softly, announcing that we made it home- that no one was going to hurt him here. I struggled to not crinkle my nose against Grey’s scent that saturated the borrowed clothes. 

I tried to convince myself that I just wanted to look over his wounds as I carefully removed the offending articles. His eye had swollen to the degree it wouldn’t even open anymore. His lip had been split- the blood was dried along his chin and throat. The nape of his neck was disfigured with teeth marks. The outline of the bite was purple, the punctures themselves looked as if they wanted to fester. His chest had an ugly laceration. Almost like a chain or something had been dug against the flesh. It ran from his collar bone to nearly the last rib. Bruises littered his otherwise pale skin with the main concentration of bruising being on his left shin. He couldn’t move at all, but the leg was swollen and the bones themselves felt… off. 

“I can’t imagine the pain you must be in.” I whispered, swallowing against bile. He couldn’t move, couldn’t talk. His scent was even neutral. God in fucks knows his emotions in all this wasn't “meh”. I would be screaming- crying- fucking hysteric. Yet he laid perfectly obedient and ready for the next strike. 

“I have some pain killers from when I broke my wrist.” I thought aloud, “I was super stubborn and said that I didn’t need them. I can give you one, hopefully it’ll take the edge off at least.” I found myself trembling. This really was one sided. He couldn't talk. He couldn’t give consent or even ask for anything. I can’t even know if what I was doing was helping him or making it worse. 

I finally nodded to myself. “I’ll be right back,” My promise was squeaked out as I raised myself off of the floor. I had knelt by the side of the bed, my fingers thoughtlessly roaming the skin of his arm. I dug through the medicine cabinet of the nearby bathroom, just shoved in the back was a full vial of prescription pain management. I read over the label briefly. “Alpha” was written in bold lettering right next to my name. This was “alpha strength” medication. It also requires me to take three every four hours. Just one pill shouldn’t hurt him. They use the same medications for both alphas and omegas, just difference in dosage. Did it really require so much more medication to be effective on an alpha, or did they just not really care if it worked on an omega? Questions for later. This is all I’ve got for right now. I tipped the pills into my palm, before scurrying to the kitchen for a glass of water.

“They swallow.” I thought. If he chokes on this. Do I remember the heimlich? I had to chuckle at myself. I really was being ridiculous at this point. 

He looked dead. 

I had stopped in the doorway of my room, just looking over my new roommate: my vulnerable little omega. He looked effectively dead. I moved to his side, the bed dipping under me as I sat. My eyes were focused on his. Only one was able to be opened, even then it looked swollen. His blue iris was locked to me. 

“You can see, right? You can control your eyes?” my brain was working over a possibility, I raised my finger to his sight. “Can you follow me?” He did, when I let my digit wave lazily from left to right- he was able to follow it. 

“Okay, okay… good.” I praised, this was a shot in the dark, but maybe. “I have the codeine right here. I can give it to you if you want. Is it okay if I do?” I stuttered over my words briefly, raising my finger once more. “Look at me for yes, look at my hand for no.” Without much of any hesitation, he locked onto my face. I smiled, cooing to him. Still, that nerve in the back of my mind was worried. He really didn’t have much of a say in this.

“You can actually choose where to look, right? God, I hope you’re not stuck staring at me by some omega instinct.” I whined, suddenly super aware of how flawed this could be. He looked away, focusing on some point on the other side of the room, flickered to my hand, then back at me. 

Okay. I can work with this. We can work with this. 

“I’m going to sit you up, okay?” I hushed, a mild excitement was pushed deeper into my chest. I moved closer to him, wrapping my arms about his shoulders. I pulled him up to my chest, his head resting right at the crook of my shoulder. He really did fit there perfectly. Like he was meant to be cradled there- here in my arms.  
“Because I’m new and stupid, this is just water.” I nervously warned. I held his head tilted, tipping the glass at his lips. His throat seemed to work instinctively, his tongue flashing on his upper lip briefly. Good… good, okay. I took the pill from my side table, carefully placing it near the back of his mouth. I wanted to groan at how warm his lips were when they enveloped my fingers. I knew that wasn’t him though. It was some scruff shit that omegas were forced to put up with. I withdrew before I could get any ideas, replacing the glass of water at his lips. His muscles moved again. 

I set the glass down, adjusting the omega that was set across my lap. I had to know if the pill was swallowed. Those things tasted awful if they had a chance to dissolve, besides it would do no good otherwise. I palmed the base of his skull, my other hand’s fingers carefully opening those warm lips. I didn’t see the white in his throat, could it have fallen under his tongue? A digit slid into the cavern, searching. His tongue swirled over the invasion, sending the sensations straight to my crotch. I retreated immediately. 

“Fuck.” I mumbled, growing sick at myself. “Did you swallow it?” I questioned, biting against my own desire to kiss him right then and there. His eye flickered to me, holding my gaze. I nodded in return, clutching him to my chest. I knew I was tucking him into my scent and it was frustrating beyond hell that I couldn’t pick up any of his from his skin. 

“I’m sorry, I just need to...” I started to explain, only to embrace him tighter. I took a deep breath of his trash scented hair before I finally convinced my inner alpha to calm the hell down. Slowly, I eased him back onto the bed. Fussing over the smallest details of how to lay out his limbs. 

“I can…” I thought a moment. I really needed to clean off his wounds. He was thrown in a dumpster of all things, he would definitely get infected if I just left him as is. “I need to clean you up.” I sat in my position at his side, his sight flickered around the room. 

“I can run a bath for you. I think it’ll help your pain actually.” I slid a hand over his, “Or I can get a bowl of water and a towel. I just don’t want you to get an infection.” He closed his only remaining sight against me. I hushed him, worried that I had pushed him too far. Maybe I’ve uprooted some kind of memory? 

“I won’t be in the tub with you. I mean. Either way I need to be at your side. But, this is just to clean you up. Nothing else.” my touches left his hand to caress his cheek. I turned his face towards mine as I silently begged for him to look at me. Open his eyes- give me a clue of what was going through that locked up mind of his.  
After an agonizing moment, he braved to look at me. I tried to smile encouragingly, all I wanted to do was cry. Cry and hold my omega. 

“Is it okay if I run a bath for you?” my voice was soft, almost scared. I posed with my finger up, off to the side. He stared blankly across the room as he seemed to think it over. Finally, he met my eyes. I sighed the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “I’ll be right back.” my promise was rushed but sincere. I was honestly terrified of leaving this man’s side for any length of time. 

I filled my humble tub with warm water: afraid of burning him, afraid of freezing him. It was okay to me, well. A little on the cold side- but I’m an alpha. That could mean anything or nothing- fuck I don’t know. I once again was stalled by the door of my room. His pale, abused skin and ghostly stillness made him look dead. It was a haunting image I prayed I never needed to see. I had to keep reminding myself that he was alive. 

I don’t know if he’s okay- but he’s alive. 

First, I moved about my room, digging into one of my dressers to find the coziest pajamas that I owned. I had a pair in mind, the ones from last Christmas. Courtesy of my mother, of course. They were ridiculous, a neon outline of some nameless punk character on a black background as a shirt, the pants however looked like disco had way too much to drink. They were soft as velvet, thick and warm: never even worn. I silently hoped he could forgive me for dressing him in such ugly clothes. I hoped he could one day just yell at me for what kind of an idiot I was. That would mean he got his will back, and would mean he wasn’t living in fear of Alpha. 

He was probably terrified of anything remotely Alpha. 

I draped the cloth over my shoulder along with a clean towel and washcloth. His eye was following me to the extent his limited range would allow. I approached him carefully, making sure he could see me. 

“Water’s ready.” my voice hushed, I began to scoop him up like the prince I always wanted, “Let’s get you clean so you can get some rest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!
> 
> This is just a practice work round, so go ahead: be brutal.


	3. Zyane : 3 : Changing Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I'm just going to put a disclaimer here.  
> It is currently 4 am at the time I am posting this. and I JUST literally finished typing it. so there are going to be a sea of typos and things that just don't make any sense. 
> 
> if I make any major changes- i will put a little note on the next chapter about it.
> 
> hopefully I shall see you tomorrow~ ... today? 
> 
>  
> 
> Shall see you soon enough.

He was eased into the water, a towel of mine was bunched up under his head so he could relax against the lip of the basin. He had closed his eye as I ran water by the palm fulls over his skin. The water level was about half way up his torso, his chest was showing goosebumps from what I assumed was the cooler air. I didn’t have any omega scented soap, so I quietly apologized as I lathered up the soft cloth. I hoped he didn’t mind my scent, tomorrow- after the hospital- I could run and get a few things for him. 

Hopefully by then he’ll have his voice. 

I washed the wounds carefully, afraid to put any pressure on the raw looking flesh. Blood both fresh and stale was staining the bathwater orange. The scent of iron stung my nose as I was inspecting the stressed tear just under his right eye. A cool towel would help the swelling, I couldn’t even try to check if his eye was okay behind this inflammation. I didn’t doubt that it was a red, stinging mess. When a red tear slipped from the strained corner of his eye, I prayed to anything that would listen that he wasn’t blinded. 

His pulse quickened as I slid him lower into the water, just enough to wash his hair. The strands were tangled and neglected, the stinging stench of garbage was finally being washed away. I let my attention linger on the scruffing mark. The bite looked so feral, it was hard to believe a person actually did this. I had him leaned forward, braced against my arm as I let water run over the wound. Some dirt and saliva eventually was worked out of the crevasses. Old blood and softened scabs were soon to follow. 

I lifted his wet frame onto my lap so I could dry him off. He was fit perfectly against me as I dabbed away at the moisture around the most tender points. His eyes were still closed. Wonder if it was from embarrassment or if exhaustion had finally claimed him. Without really thinking, I nosed carefully into his now silky hair. My arms wrapped around his frame securely in an embrace that felt so much more than a hug to me. 

“My omega.” I promised myself under a breath. I wouldn’t be afraid to kill anyone that came near him. Still- I didn’t even know his name yet.

He was dressed and tucked into my bed. He hadn’t even flickered his eyes open since they slid closed during the bath. That for some reason made it easier now. It was easier to look over him and imagine that he was only sleeping. So far gone into some dream land that he couldn’t even be bothered to stir in his rest. Not bound to submission by some fuckwad. I had fixed a couple ice packs, one for that bite mark, another for his eye, the last for that leg. I pressed each one hard against the most sensitive skin of my forearm, just to make sure that they wouldn't get too cold against his fragil senses. 

Morning took it’s time to arrive. Normal me would not have complained and would have enjoyed the prolonged sleeping opportunity. This time I didn’t really sleep at all. I was propped up at the headboard of my bed, my omega resting just a few inches from my folded legs. A book was in my lap as an excuse to distract myself, but most of the hours were spent just looking over the, hopefully, sleeping man. I had adjusted and switched out the ice packs. Finding myself inspecting the cooled flesh when the worst of the swelling subsided. His cheek didn’t appear broken, but the black bruise wrapped the entirety of his eye socket. The ghastly teeth marks finally began to heal over, only a purple outline of what was remained. 

I was searching on my phone for the omega hospitals nearby. Sure enough- most of them opened at 9 am. There was one that opened at 7:30, however. I clicked my phone to lock, 6:50 blinked up at me. If we left now- we should be arriving just before they opened. My omega still looked deceptively placid beside me, perhaps I should take this chance to get ready. 

I was dressing in jeans and a sleeveless when I was looking over my closet for something suitable for my little omega. Everything I owned would be far too big for him. I guessed it was better than the alternative: my clothes being too small and he definitely being forced to walk around nude. I pulled out a pair of sweatpants to inspect the range of the tie when I heard something that made me freeze.

My omega just sobbed. 

All of my instincts were bare wires when I flung myself over to his side of the bed. He had his eyes cracked open, tears filling them. He was shaking terribly, his voice was a series of shattering whimpers. 

“Hey,” I hushed, my hands smoothed over his figure. I wiped his every tear that fell. “We’ll be going to the hospital in a few minutes.” I felt beyond guilty- had the codeine done nothing for him? Did It wear off hours ago, now he was subject to the brutal force of his injuries?

“Something’s wrong.” He whined through panic. His words felt like someone had just pulled the rug out from under me. I threw the blankets off of him, my eyes studying every detail. His arms were wrapped around his stomach. “Oh god, something’s wrong.” he began to unravel. His shaking only got worse. The scent of fresh blood found my nose. 

The scent seemed to strike my omega at the same time. His eyes turned to pin points as the color completely drained from his face. 

“My legs are wet.” He realized, his body almost went into convulsions at the revelation. I slid my hand into his pants, letting my digits feel the moisture that was leaking to his thighs. My palm emerged coated in blood. I swore in a hiss as I fisted the blankets, I tried to swaddle my omega as securely as I could. I was whimpering nonsense as I reached over him for my phone.

Reyne answered within three rings.

“How fast can Grey get to my house?” my voice was strained panic. 

“Five minutes.” He answered, I could hear him opening a door, yelling to who I assumed was Grey in the background. 

“I need to get him to a hospital now. There’s one that opens at 730.” I rushed, but my fingers were weaved through my omega’s hair. I hoped it would let him know that I wasn’t going to leave his side. 

“Rochester. Yeah, I’ve been to that one.” Reyne seemed to be talking to both Grey and I at the same time. Grey eventually took the phone.

“Has he dropped?” his voice was gravel, as if he had just been woken from slumber.

“There’s blood.” I found my voice pinched off. Was this a drop? I don’t know! I know drops are fucking terrifying for omegas. I think this qualifies as fucking terrifying!

“Four minutes and counting.” Reyne took the phone back, but the call was cut off shortly after. 

Four minutes and counting.

It was the six minute mark when knocking thundered through my apartment. I opened the door to see Reyne standing there: huge brown eyes full of worry, normally vibrant dark skin had ashen. I didn’t even speak a word to him, I only disappeared to my room. My omega was disintegrating before my eyes. I could only whisper small promises to him as I took him in my arms.

I’m sure I looked funny- walking around with half of my bed’s dressings bundled up against my chest. 

The car ride was silent, except for the poorly restrained sobs and cries from my little omega. Grey knew where he was going. The only scent I could focus on was the blood of the omega in my lap. Every so often, I would get the slightest flicker of his scent. The one that was him- from his own skin. Even then, it was washed out with sulfuric panic. 

7:27 was on the dashboard clock when Grey pulled up to the emergency entrance of the hospital. A security guard was standing there, already letting an elderly woman into the building. I didn’t even think twice when I charged up the pathway. 

I guess my alpha scent was a bit out of control. He held a hand up to me, one of his palms moving to his revolver. 

“Hey, this is a safe place for Omegas, you shouldn’t-” He froze mid-sentence when I shifted the bundle in my arms. He could see my omega’s pained expression, accented only by the black eye.

“He needs help.” I begged, ready to fall to my knees. “I don’t even care if I can’t go in. HE needs help.” The guard spoke some kind of code into his walkie, the door buzzed open. 

“You can go on in. Just for fucks... try to calm yourself. Some here really can not handle the scent of an Alpha.” he seemed to pinch his nose at his own slip of a swear. He had to be professional. I get it, I would probably do the exact same thing. 

Nurses met me not even four steps into the hallway. They were working on getting a gurney to us, one of the male omegas offered to take mine from me. I wanted to snarl. I wanted to command him back. I let him take my omega. I was here for his help- why would I let instinct fuck that up now?

They took him away to be tended to. The doctors were alphas, but they had suppressors on their scent. I had to trust other alphas with my omega…

Fuck, instinct, you can shut up now!

Reyne walked in, looping his arm around mine as he whimpered his worry. Grey was told to stay outside. I appreciate that he was here, but I couldn’t torment Grey like that. 

“Your honey is looking at you like a lost puppy.” I pointed out. Reyne shrugged. 

“You needed a hug.” he smiled at his own stupid excuse. “He’s in good hands. If Grey could trust them with me, they may just barely make to your standards.” 

“They let me in.” I looked over the waiting room, scents of scared and sick omegas assaulted my senses. 

“They don’t normally do that.” Reyne nudged. 

“Go to Grey.” I insisted, “I’m going to interrogate the woman in the glass case over there until my omega is back in my arms.”

“Sounds like something you would do.” He hugged me once again before turning away. Grey had his forehead on the glass pane, his eyes glued to his husband. The guard stood there silently- but I could see he wanted so badly to roll his eyes. 

I knew they knew who I was. So I just took a seat in the back- tucked away- corner of the waiting room. Hell, If they had any questions they could sniff me out. As time dragged, I was reduced to staring a hole into an opposite chair while neurotically flipping my phone between my thumb and fingers. Two hours had ticked by. I seriously tried to reign in my scent, especially after I saw a young girl fall into a panic attack at my presence. 

“Sir?” A woman’s soft voice caught my attention. She was in uniform, her hands clutching a clipboard against her torso as her eyes seemed to search my face.

“Yes?” I stood instantly. Immediately I regretted the decision when she flinched back. I tried to soften my stance, hell. I was almost a full two feet taller than her- it would be hard for me not to spook her. Six foot seven had both perks and disadvantages I guess. 

“You are the one that brought in Talon, right?” she seemed to stutter at the name. She seemed disheartened by whatever note was on her papers.

“I’m sorry,” if I had dog ears, they would be flat down against my head.” I never got his name, I… I don’t know.” 

“Twenty one years, black hair, blue eyes, five-two, 101.2 pounds.” she read off the statistics, I nodded to her.

“Sounds right.” I noted the pained expression that crossed her eyes for a second before she schooled herself.

“Come with me?” her offer was more of a command. Without waiting she turned and walked away. Of course, I was going to follow.

She sat at her desk after closing the door behind me. She waved for me to sit, her movements stiff and over-thought. I obeyed, still trying to figure out what was the matter. Was I still stinking up the place? Probably…

Is ‘Talon’ okay? Ice washed my veins as I was thrown into worse case scenarios. 

“Is.” her voice pinched on her before she could ask her question. I had my whole attention locked onto her, waiting silently took every ounce of my will. 

“Is he here today, for his… procedure?” She was staring blankly at her computer screen, as if bracing for the response.

“Procedure?” I couldn’t help but echo. “If it helps him, I don’t care what it is.”

“The one for his pose… position as ‘breeder’.” Her voice was soft and scared like always, but I instantly saw red. Breeder? He was going to be used as a breeder? Don’t they…

“Don’t they amputate limbs for that?!” I snapped, she suddenly looked confused.

“Yes.” she whimpered. “You don’t know about it?”

“No, I don’t. Don’t anyone fucking Dare go near him, so help me god!” I found myself on my feet, a fist pressing into her desk while my other hand itched to throw something. Anything. 

“This is him, correct?” she turned her screen towards me. Yeah, it was my omega. I sank to the chair as the air around me suddenly turned to led. The two pictures were definitely him. The one on the right must have been taken recently- he had that black eye. The other on the left was haunting. I knew that look- he was scruffed. His eyes were glassy and hopeless as he was positioned by some man holding the nape of his neck. 

She read the answer off of my face.

“You are his alpha, right?” she sounded… excited?

“I just met him, I haven’t even heard more than three words from his lips. I found him in a fucking dumpster last night, brought him home to clean him up, and now we’re here.” I was further confused by her happy reaction.

“Please, just say you are his alpha.” She whimpered while standing from her chair. “Say your his alpha and you are canceling that… that ‘procedure’.” 

“Is registering as an really Alpha that easy?” I could have this boy’s life in the palm of my hand. 

“Right now, it is.” her eyes were begging me.

“I’m his alpha, and you better cancel that fucking procedure.” Why was it so easy to say those three words? I’m his alpha. She left in a rush, I think she meant to tell me she would be right back. But the moment was too much for her, she had to run and… and She was running to save my omega. 

“So. Talon is your name.” I hummed, left to sit with the two pictures. I noticed that even on the labeling “Talon” was always quoted or italicized. I wanted to guess that wasn’t his real name, probably one given to him by his handlers. 

Yeah- on his profile that was on the clipboard before me, under “power of attorney” the box for “handler” was marked. Spouse Alpha, Alpha, Handler. Married, dating, single: didn’t matter- under the law, there was always someone that controlled your life if you were an omega. Aphas had more power than handlers at least. Even if they did throw a fit- I had the upper hand. Granted that they survived our encounter with each other.

She returned slightly out of breath. She fixed her blond hair behind her ear as she apologetically sat down. 

“I still have bad news, but at least that has been settled.” she fidgeted, but not quite as badly. “He lost the pup.” 

“He was pregnant.” Talon’s words earlier made so much more sense now. He was probably trying to get away from that life- and they were going to kill him for it.

“We had to scruff him. It won’t last much longer actually. He isn’t taking the news well. We are afraid he’s going to fall into a red heat from this.” the nerves she held began to unwind when she saw that I actually cared about the man. Still, it didn’t make any of this easier to face. “I can get you addresses to some shelters, if you don’t think you and him are ready to face something like that together.” 

Red heat. It’s a panic triggered self destruct button. It’s like a normal heat, just fucking deadly. 

“Either I rape him or someone else does.” I snorted. Again- this guy couldn’t catch a break. Everything was out of his control. I didn’t want to force myself onto him- but I was not about to let him die. He saw that I didn’t want to hurt him, right? Would being with me be better than some shelter? 

“Can I have the list? I just… want to talk to him about it.” I tried to reason with myself. If it was going to happen, give him the choice of the poison. 

“I should warn you, many of the shelters are just glorified brothels: in plain english. There isn’t even a guarantee that he would be picked. I’ve seen omega’s coming in during late stages because of the ‘shelters’.” Her eyes were haunted. As an omega hospital- she really did see the worst in this society. Maybe they closed at night so the staff could have a fucking sanity break. 

“I don’t even know how to thank you.” I mumbled, soaking in everything.

“Talon has been here quite a few times.” she met my eyes. “This is the first time I’ve seen any form of life in him. Please, just… It’s asking a lot, but don’t let those ‘handlers’ get a hold on him again.” 

“Talon isn’t his name is it?” I scoffed, ready to hold my omega. 

“I never heard his real name. That was a stage name they forced on him. I’d actually be careful using it around him.” she only confirmed my suspicion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!
> 
> This is just a practice work round, so go ahead: be brutal.


	4. Zyane : 4 : Almighty Reyne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this at 2:30 am, after just finishing typing it.  
> At this point you all should know the deal.  
> I'm exhausted at this point and will be promptly sleeping after this.
> 
> I did change two things last chapter: one really stupid typo of a word missing a letter. and the other was me deleting a word for the sake of consistency.
> 
> funny how one word would have poked a hole in the plot.  
> well... "plot"

We talked things over, back and forth. She was filling me in with things I should be on the watch for with this looming threat of red. She also explained to me that omega’s body temperature always dropped after coming out of a scruffing. That would be something I would have to address. She talked over his diet, the pain medication and the tranquilizers he would be prescribed, how long his leg would need to stay in it’s splint.

The break wasn’t completely through the bone- thankfully. It would heal up in a matter of weeks and didn’t even require a full legged cast. As I was being filled in, I realized she was another alpha. Her scent was so suppressed that the thought didn’t cross my mind until I had finally reigned myself in. Passively, I wondered why more omegas weren’t working in an omegan hospital. It probably had a lot to do with how difficult it was for them to get a higher education. Hell, alphas were at each other's throats as it was. I spent a month away at university before I decided to switch to online courses. Never really moved back to my hometown since I had a better chance of getting a freelance gig in the city, but I needed away from those testosterone driven idiots. Otherwise I would have been sitting in jail instead of actually trying to do something with my life. 

She finished her lecture sooner than she expected, the printer was still buzzing away at pamphlets that I would be able to look over later on. They said exactly what she just did, I probably wouldn’t be able to remember everything without them though. 

“I’m going to check if they’re ready for us.” she offered, handing me a folder. “I already sent the prescriptions to the pharmacy a block away from here- if that’s okay. If there’s somewhere else you would rather go, it’s just a matter of a phone call. Don’t worry about any of this by the way- the city has a ‘rescued omega clause’ that allows for alphas to bring in any omega at no charge. It was a way for them to try to end the needless deaths of abandoned people.” her eyes grew haunted again. “It has helped, the idiots did something right for once.” she forced her voice to lighten. 

She didn’t disappear for long this time. She nodded to me, beckoning me forward, “Just try to contain yourself.” she almost sighed, “You’ll have the entire floor in an uproar.” My scent has been the source of most the trouble today, it seems. In hindsight, I should have sat outside. The staff would have come to get me… I would think, anyway. The hospital smelt artificially clean, it honestly made the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. Most of the rooms had their doors slid closed, I could see through the glass panes, but they were containing the different scent markings each of the omegas had received from family and friends. 

Right, that was what Reyne was doing to Talon last night. Hell, that’s what I was doing last night.

She led me to a room, on the bed was a bundle of white sterile blankets with little more than a tuft of black hair sticking out by the head of the bed. 

“There’s clothes on the counter.” A male nurse nodded to the plain sweat pants and shirt, “He won’t let anyone near him to get him dressed.”

“Thank you.” was all I could trust of my voice. He was free to go- when ever we were ready. 

“If you want, we have the clothes he was brought in with.” he tilted his head, his eyes studying me.

“Burn them,” I thought of the blood scent of a lost pup staining the fabric, “They were ugly bastards to begin with.” I earned a small chuckle from both alphas. I finally convinced my legs to carry me to my omega’s bedside. The scruffing they did, she said it should be wearing off soon. If he was able to fend off the nurses from dressing him- it probably already has. 

“Hey,” I tested the silence, afraid to invade his fort of cotton. For a moment, I just sat in the sickeningly familiar stillness of the room, my fingers fidgeted among themselves to keep me from reaching under the blanket he had encased himself with.

Slowly, he revealed his face. I think he was just growing curious at the looming presence. I swallowed against my nervousness, I could feel his beautiful blue eyes moving over me. Oh god, that swollen eye was open. It held that vibrant blue against a blood red sea. It was so bloodshot, he looked like some kind of ghoul. Without thinking, my palm encased his cheek. My thumb ran over the three stitches that held the cut together. His skin was cold under my touch, he must be freezing from that fucking scruff. 

“They told me you are my Alpha.” his voice was raw, just barely over a whisper- but I think that was all he could muster. 

“I don’t have to be.” my instincts wanted to rip out my own throat for saying that. “I had to stop what they were going to do. I would have said anything…” 

“Are they going to take my legs?” he somehow looked hopeful, his face nuzzled a little closer into my palm.

“No.” I barked, instantly regretting- but it was still a sore subject in my mind, “No,” softer this time. “We are going to get out of this place and get you set up like a king on the couch.” I earned a weak smile. I felt a shiver run through him, his breath came in short bursts. 

“My pup.” he choked, his throat collapsing. 

“I’m so sorry.” I couldn’t imagine what was running through is head. I felt his hand wrap around mine, it seemed like he was anchoring himself. 

“I can’t repay.” he began to shiver a little more violently. I only hushed him- he didn’t need to worry about that, I wanted nothing from him. 

“I can’t even carry-” I cut off his cracking words by pulling him up into my hold. All reserves I held snapped at once as I cradled him against me, my nose nuzzling against his shoulder as I tucked him against my scent. I successfully stunned him into a silence. His body was like ice, even through my clothes. He didn’t seem to struggle against my arms. A part of me was afraid that he was still unable, even if he wanted to. I sat on the ledge of the bed, just holding him. I didn’t know if it was helping him, hopefully it was. I just really needed him in my arms for a moment.

“Let’s get you dressed.” I mumbled after some time ticked by, he nodded against my throat. He was able to sit up on the edge of the bed while I unfolded the stiff, pressed clothes. He allowed me to help him into the shirt, he even allowed me to kneel at his feet and feed the loose pants over his splinted leg. I stayed at my knees when I had finished, just looking over his shy expression. 

“My name is Zyane Howard.” I took his thin fingers in mine, “I don’t believe we have been able to meet properly.”

“Talon.” he spoke automatically, nerves blushing his cheeks. 

“Is that your name?” I urged softly, he shook his head ‘no.’ He shivered again, I couldn't tell if it was from nerves or cold.

“Skylar.” he breathed. It was almost soft enough for me to miss.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Skylar.” I smiled, holding his hand encouragingly. “What do you say we go down the street, get all the junk food I can carry, and hide away in the apartment for a month or two?”

“Hiding sounds nice.” he admitted, braving the little jump to the floor. His legs were not ready for his weight- I caught him under the arms before his knees could give out. He let out a startled whimper, his face scrunched up in a brace for pain.

“I got you,” I hushed, a smile creeping onto my cheeks. My little omega was so cute: he’s probably a troublemaker when he’s able to get around. Oh god. If he got along with Reyne. Reyne would be an awful influence, as much as I liked the guy. The alphas of the hospital didn’t even bother with getting a wheelchair, they had knowing smirks as I took my Skylar in my arms. He whimpered a pout, wanting to stretch out his disused limbs. 

I had made my way onto the busy city street with Skylar still wrapped around my neck. He had relented on his plead of walking for now. The corner pharmacy that doubled as a quick-mart was only half a block or so away. 

“I should call Grey,” I announce to myself, “the two would kill me if they found out we got out of there, and didn’t tell them.”

“I like Reyne.” Sky mumbled into my collarbone. I hummed into his hair. Oh no, it’s starting.

“I’ve known Reyne forever. He’s a brat- but he’s a good guy.” Sky seemed to smile at my confession. In the store, an omega woman pulled a cart out for me, offering it with curious eyes. I proceeded to place Sky into the basket.

“I can totally walk the store!” He protested. I ruffled his hair, while nodding my thanks to the woman. 

“I’m not risking anything.” I leaned forward with my elbows on the handle of the cart, “Besides, you fit just perfectly in there, little omega.” He snorted his distaste at my words, turning his shoulder against me. I could still see the shaking in his limbs. Did I just uproot him by calling him little omega? Was he that cold? I thought we would have a little more time before the quakes started. I reached down and placed a hand on the nape of his neck. Ice cold skin seared my palm. He also flinched at the touch. 

Right, he probably had a scruff complex right now, I let my fingers move lower to his shoulder, rubbing a knot out. 

“Just checking if you were cold.” I tried to explain. 

“Got your answer?” he tried to keep up the tough guy facade, another shiver racked him. 

“We’ll be heading home soon.” I promised. Reminding myself to fish out my phone to let the troublesome duo know we were out of Rochester. 

“You’re not walking back to your apartment are you?” Reyne snapped from the other side of the speaker, loud enough for Sky to arch an eyebrow from the cart. 

“Hello to you too, we’re doing great. How are you?” I smiled evilly.

“Z. fucking Howard.” he warned.

“It’s not that far, and Sky’s not even all that heavy.” I gave up halfway through my excuse. No excuse was good enough against Reyne.

“Sky.” his voice was suddenly distant. Oh, they don’t even know his name yet- I mean. I just found out, but it was somehow so natural on my lips. 

“I know what you’re doing an it ain’t gonna work!” Reyne suddenly accused, I had to bark a laugh.

“And what would that be?” 

“You’re at Cindy’s Pharma aren’t you?” he … how..

“How did you know that?” I spun in my place, half expecting to see the lanky man standing at the end of an isle. 

“I can hear their music.” He relented his secrets. “I know patience isn’t in your programming, but would you wait until Grey and I could get there? We want to drive you back.”

“Even if I said ‘no’ you two stalkers would find me on my route.” my accusation wasn’t met with denial. “Fine.” I sighed, never really could win in an argument with Reyne. Hell. His relationship with Grey started with Reyne accusing him of not being able to handle an omega of his stature. Instead of asking Grey out, he merely said “Prove it.” 

Now they’re married. 

I had pretty much buried Sky by the time I headed for the checkout lane. If the dorks insisted of driving us back- I was going to make use of their trunk. I was also trying to not think too much on how badly Sky was shaking. I hadn’t even put a jacket on when we left this morning, all of it was such a rush. I should have asked Reyne to bring something with them. I had Sky’s medication along with four, overly stuffed but successfully condensed plastic bags. I don’t honestly think I would be able to name off everything I had just bought. I’m pretty sure I had gathered doubles of something. 

Grey’s pristine red car pulled up in front of the store. Reyne started bantering off about how proud he was of ‘big bad alpha’ me for finally accepting the inevitable. My focus was on Sky. He had grown silent- not even giving a half hearted rebuke when I lifted him into my arms and tucked him as close to me as I could get. 

“It’s normally a delayed reaction- so I suspect around tonight he should start feeling it”

Sorry- he’s feeling it fucking now. Wait. Did they know he had been scruffed before already? Could this be the chills from the earlier one? Since that fucker left teeth marks on the back of his neck I suspected they would have been able to tell. Still. She’s just a secretary- I had to forgive her. Even if it’s for no other reason but for the sake of Sky. He just had hell in a handbasket. I had to make sure there were no confusions between us. I did not need him afraid of me while he’s still on red watch.

“Are you goin’ to stand there or are you goin’ to get in the car?” Grey startled me out of my thoughts. The bags had already been loaded, Reyne even had the backdoor open for me. I grunted an embarrassed ‘thank you’ as I settled into the cloth seats. 

At this rate- I’m going to develop a complex with cars. Three times in a row I had to get in a car because something bad was going on. Two of which were with my hormones going haywire because my omega was suffering in my lap. I’d rather break my wrist a thousand times. 

I barely got a word in when we made it to the apartment. Grey was dropping the bags to the tile while his omega disappeared down my hallway. I didn’t even get a chance to set Sky down before Reyne was calling for me to bring Sky to him. Reyne had started filling the bathtub with water that looked stupid close to boiling. I nearly scoffed when he easily held his wrist under the stream with a slight pout.

“I’d complain with how cold this tap is.” he mumbled to himself, loving the look on my face. 

And here I was afraid of burning Sky the night before. Nope. Nothing shy of lava fresh from the ground would even come close to such a thing. 

“Are you okay if I leave you here?” the realization that I couldn’t stand over Sky wasn’t settling well with my instincts. 

“I’m okay.” he chattered. No. He wasn’t okay. I shouldn’t even have let him out of my sight at the hospital! What if that woman wasn’t the way she was? Sky would be a nameless breeder getting his fucking legs sawed off right this fucking moment! Even with him in my arms, he was still suffering something beyond me. And here this lanky pipsqueak of an omega was going to tell me that he had everything under control? I could easily tear his ass in two. 

“Let omegas be.” he made it like he chuckled, but his eyes were dark. Grey seemed to have scented my thoughts and the kind of metal ledge I was teetering on. His broad form took up most of the doorway as he leaned against the jam. He didn’t want me near Reyne while I was like this. Just like it killed me that Grey was in my house while Sky was like this. We could trust each other, at least the three of us knew that. That was the most frustrating part.

We were friends, and I needed them. 

Middle ground was leaving the door open. Reyne was in the bathroom, omega-ing with Sky, while I was fussing through the grocery bags. I found what I had bought doubles of: the soap I had bought for myself. Some alpha neutralizing scent thing that the woman suggested for me to use if I was going to be living with Sky. I could do this much for him until he wasn’t on the brink of red. It smelt pungent of rosemary and mint, quite honestly it made my nose crinkle. I allowed myself to chuckle at the crossed expression from Grey, his nose scrunched up from the otherside of the living room.

Yup. Shower time was going to be an adventure. 

“Wifes.” I explained curtly with a smirk.

“I put up with a lot. That’s a no even from me.” he only raised his hands in surrender before turning back to my messed up work desk. 

“How’s Felon?” I couldn’t help but miss my best boy.

“He’s fine.” Grey sucked a breath, “ All of the toilet paper is dead.” I couldn’t contain my laughter if my life depended on it. I could only imagine the reaction of the burley, clean freak alpha when he walks in with shredded liter of white coating every inch of the floor.

“Yeah.” I struggled to breathe. “That’s a thing with him.” 

I was resetting the bed when Reyne announced his presence at the bedroom door. He looked over the mess of my room before tilting his head expectantly towards me. 

“Yes?” I couldn’t read his cryptic clues as easily as Grey. Even then I was convince Grey bullshited his way through a lot. 

“Are you going to make Sky walk around naked?” he teased slightly, watching me as I felt very stupid and promptly began to dig through my dresser. I found a pair of sweats and a long sleeve that suspiciously smelt heavily of me. Reyne saw through what I was doing. He didn’t say anything, the quirk in his brow was enough.

Weak, quiet, subordinate, inferior: all the things that omegas were expected to be. None of which fit Reyne. I’m pretty sure they broke the mold when they made him. God help Grey, he really was one that not many alphas could handle.

As much as I wanted to carry Sky to the couch I had set up, seeing him hobble along on his own was amazingly heartbreaking. One one hand he could move, he was able to pseudo-fend for himself. On the other, his leg was broken and I was sure it hurt like hell. That reminds me…

I went to search out the pain medication from the pharmacy- finding that I couldn’t remember where I had put the bag. Strange… I could have sworn I set it on the table… right were I wouldn’t lose it... 

“Don’t panic, already took care of it.” Reyne called when he saw me standing in a daze, one hand on the table where I had once placed the bag. “The codeine is in him.” Reyne dropped his voice. “Sky utterly refused the anxiety thing though.” I nodded my thanks.

“Don’t scare me like that.” I fake smacked his arm, still earning a warning glare from Grey. 

“We should go before you two start duking it out.” Reyne stretched, he was doing his wiggle dance thing that always got his honey’s attention. How close to snapping was Grey? I know it’s been tense, but to invoke the almighty input of Reyne?

“Besides,” Reyne chirped happily, “there is the most adorable dog at home waiting for me to snuggle him to death!” There it is. He just wants my dog again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!
> 
> This is just a practice work round, so go ahead: be brutal.


	5. Zyane : 5 : Iron and Grass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update because it's two in the morning and I am tired. 
> 
> See you tomorrow with a (hopefully) larger chapter to make up for it!  
> it may even leak in some smut

I was in the kitchen area, watching over a couple pots with nervous hands. Sky was lost in the bundle on the couch. Only his head stuck out of the mass as he completely fell for the spell of some kid’s movie. I almost let the soup burn while I watched his content expression.

“I’m not promising much for dinner.” I had to confess, Sky chuckled to himself.

“I would even use a chunk of charcoal to get this taste of hospital green nutrient slime out of my mouth.” He didn’t move his eyes from the movie- if nothing else he tucked himself into the blankets a little cosier. Granted, the thought of the pert shampoo looking slime made my skin crawl. 

“I’ll try to hurry for you,” I smiled at how natural this was. “Hey, did you need something to drink?” He didn’t really answer, he had started fussing over the villain of the showing. I assumed he was okay. 

He hummed a thanks when I brought him the bowl of canned soup. It wasn’t much- not that I didn’t have a lot. I just didn’t have time nor skill to prepare something better. I didn’t want to subject him to one of my experiments gone wrong as his first meal with me. He took a moment to figure out how to extract himself from his cocoon, even then his legs were still tangled. I joined him on the couch- tucking my lanky bastards under me.

“So what did I miss?” I asked as seriously as I could muster. I’ve seen this movie before- there was maybe ten minutes left. Sky was silent, so I braved a nonchalant glance. He looked like he was ready to throw his bowl in my face. 

“The whole thing.” he summed up effectively. “So at this point, you’re just watching spoilers.” I fake reached for the remote, grumbling that I hated spoilers. He managed to smack my wrist away, using his good leg to conceal the remote under his fortress of cotton.

“You shall sit and suffer.” He announced. “You made me king of the couch- no complaining.” I couldn’t keep up the act- I laughed so hard I had to set my bowl on the table. Yeah, I had found myself a brat. 

We ate in silence, the television automatically starting another movie made for toddlers. Neither of us made a move to change it. Well. Sky didn’t make a move to change it- I wasn’t allowed to. 

As soon as I had finished eating, Sky untangled himself from his defenses. He asked in a nervous voice if I had wanted more. I declined, but when I went to stand- Sky stole the dirty dish from my hands and hobbled over to the sink. 

“Thought you were king of the couch?” I tried to keep it light hearted, his expression was slipping somewhere dark. He stayed silent as he began to wash all the dishes I had accumulated from my raid of the kitchen. I wasn’t sure if I should be approaching him or not. He seemed fixed on the task at hand, his movements growing almost desperate. He started to use the counter to keep himself steady since his left leg was no use to him. The movement he was forcing on himself must be bothering the once settled nerves. When I saw his eyes fix on the still half full pot on the stove, I strided over to it before he could even cover a foot of distance. 

“You don’t have to do this.” I offered softly, letting him time to acquaint with my presence while I pretended to search for a tupperware for the leftovers. It sounded like a defeated whine had escaped his throat, almost immediately after the hollow tick of a plastic cup bounced off of the floor. Thankfully plastic- but water was now splashed across the smooth tile. I’ve completely wiped out on this floor with only my feet wet from a shower, there was no way Sky would be able to maneuver this. 

His shoulders shook as his eyes widened at the spill. Apologies were brimming his lips as he frantically looked over the sink for a rag. He moved too quickly, knocking the squat bottle of soap into the half full sink. He let out a stuttering breath, nerves raw. I glided behind him, using my arms to cage him against the counter. 

“It’s okay.” I hushed into his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry.” he spoke reflexively, I could feel every muscle in him was tensed. “I’ll clean it, Master.” My blood hit a flash point: like every drop instantly bubbled into a rage. I stepped impossibly closer to my omega my nose nuzzling into the crook of his neck. 

Don’t use a command: I chanted in my mind. 

“Don’t call me that.” I should have been proud of myself, but bile was twisting in my stomach from the title. “I’m not your ‘Master.’ Don’t call me that.”

“I’m sorry.” he flinched, bracing for an impact. I quelled my trembling before I turned him to face me. My fingers held his chin in a gentle hold. Brilliant blue eyes were fidgeting up at me, tears were barely held back by long lashes.

“You don’t need to be sorry.” I swallowed my dry throat. 

“I can’t even-” I silenced his self deprivation with a finger against his shaking lips.

“You have been through hell.” I held his apprehensive gaze, “There is not a single reason for you to be sorry.”

“My pup.” I was certain the only reason he was still standing was because of my hold on his chin. “I failed my pup.”

“That wasn’t your fault.” I almost dipped into a command, I had to rein in myself. He rushed his reasons why it would be his doing- my hand threaded the hair on the back of his scalp, gripping it slightly to startle him into silence. 

“Brute force trauma killed your pup.” I… fuck was that a command? “Not you, not your stress, not even your body. That fucker that hurt you killed your baby.” He was trembling like it had been a command. His leg gave out from under him, my arms barely had time to wrap around his tiny frame. He stuttered terribly, his crying was unchecked. I pressed him into my scent while I hushed him vainly. 

“I can feel it.” he confessed softly. I had to encourage him to tell me what he meant. 

“Red. It’s lingering right there.” he raised a hand to his throat, lightly squeezing it like something was choking him. “I tried to ignore it, but it’s not going away. Is it?”

“Stress brings it out.” when had I lifted him into my arms? “You were given Xanax. Why don’t you take one?” He shook his head definitively.

“Skylar,” my voice pleaded. He was set in his ways though.

“I’m not getting my happy from a bottle! These are my thoughts, I think I should be allowed to have them.” I had moved to his nest on the couch, but I wasn’t quite ready to set him down yet. 

“You took the codeine.” I waited for him to confirm my words. “Pain meds help physical pain. It doesn’t heal your leg over, It doesn’t make people question whether or not you have a broken leg. Anxiety meds help anxiety. It’s like a pain in a way. You still control your thoughts- but the bad ones don’t hurt as badly. So you still can see the good that’s around you.” I buried my nose into his hair as he thought over the concept. I got a whiff of something sweet, something familar. Wait… was this-

“Can I help you?” Sky squirmed slightly in my arms, he didn’t appreciate the deep sniffs I was apparently taking. A smirk nearly cracked my cheeks.

“You smell like a cinnamon roll.” 

“I am king of the couch! Now go get me my medications, you business end of a tractor sniffing servant!” Weak fists bounced off my chest as he demanded me to put him down. well… I did yell at him for calling me ‘Master.’ Business end of a tractor?

“What the hell does a business end of a tractor smell like?” I squeaked, still not setting him down until I got my explanation. 

“Iron and grass.” he pouted, not giving me any more to work with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!
> 
> This is just a practice work round, so go ahead: be brutal.


	6. Zyane : 6 : Parrots and Gauges

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hit over 100 hits last night. Wow, didn't think I'd get that much attention in a matter of days.
> 
> Thank you all and I hope that I don't disappoint.

The night was quiet. He had relented to the medication easily, currently he was drowsily leaning on my shoulder. Watching him, I made a mental note that perhaps they did prescribe too high of a dose for what he wanted from it. He seemed almost slap happy over the smallest things. My omega was limp, carefree, and dependant on me. While we watched the third or so movie in a row, I let my fingers scratch his scalp, the cinnamon scent strengthening the further he was from the scruffing. 

At some point in the marathon of kindergarten, I managed to regain control of the remote. A quick glance at Sky told me he wasn’t in a mindset to be aware of what was going on around him, so I figured it was safe to switch the television. He promptly slipped off of my shoulder, his head falling onto my lap. I could only stare down at him with wide eyes as he drunkenly traced my face with a finger.

“You’re so handsome.” he hummed to himself, his face holding only wonder. A chuckle bubbled from my throat, wondering if he would remember any of this in the morning. Probably not, which was a shame- I wanted to talk about options for the looming red scare. He only seemed he couldn’t be bothered with such things. His fingers softly moved to play in my faded green locks that had fallen limp over my forehead. As any good alpha, I dropped my head so he could have better access. 

“You also kind’a look like a parrot.” he spoke so seriously that I had to fake offense. His finger pressed surely on the tip of my nose, “You don’t have the beak for it though.” 

“I’m starting to think it’s bedtime.” my threat fell on deaf ears as he began to tug at one of mine.

“You should get gauges.” his speech had begun to slur. My palm pet back his dark hair, his forehead was warm under my touch. A flicker of worry sparked my nerves, could he be falling into red now? Already? 

I haven’t even asked him his consent yet… He’s drugged up out of his fucking mind, I couldn’t do that to him now!

“You don’t like gauges?” his drunken state looked a touch more apprehensive. Clearly he misread the look on my face.

“I don’t mind them, just… never got them for myself.” I smiled worriedly. No other signs were coming up. Maybe it was just a mix of Xanax and being buried under almost all the blankets I owned. He was fighting to keep his eyes open, they weren’t even focused anymore. Just the act of sight was growing exhausting for him. 

Yeah, it was bedtime for this little omega. 

“Come on, off to bed.” I motivated myself to get up more than him. Sky wasn’t going to move if his life depended on it. Just the motion of me getting out from under him caused him to whine in protest. He was absolutely adorable in my hold. I could easily get spoiled by this content look on his sleepy face, the way he tucks himself against me like a kitten. Instead of setting him down, I let myself fall back on the bed. However I fell, I didn’t really care. He ended up half across my chest, tucked warmly under my arm with the nesting of bedding around us.

I could easily get spoiled by this. 

I lingered on the brink of sleep, that fuzzy happiness that no one really wants to leave. I don’t think I actually had fallen asleep yet. A part of me may have been scared to find out that this purring omega on me was the dream- that I would wake up in an empty apartment as normal. Or maybe this mass was my dog’s ass sitting on me again. 

I didn’t take a shower.

That thought woke me up like a drench of ice water. I found myself sitting up reflexively, gaining a disgruntled groan from Sky, who only curled up on my now vacant warm spot. By the time the option of putting it off until the morning made it’s lazy way through my mind, I was already on my feet. I sighed, seriously considering crawling back into bed with my little omega. Then the careful warning from the woman echoed on the other side of my mind.

“Given his history, an Alpha scent may trigger the red faster than normal. Yours isn’t exactly subtle either.”

I was going to take a one in the morning shower, with a soap that makes my nose want to jump off my face, for this little omega. He better appreciate this- one day. Maybe even a little kiss. 

Just a little one. 

Okay… this is happening. I was under the stream of steaming water. The bottle of “Neutral” body wash still tightly closed in my hands. I get it. I know omegas and alphas fucking stink. But when she said ‘something neutralizing’ I sure as hell wasn’t expecting something so potent. You know… The opposite of Neutral. I sucked the last deep breath I was probably going to get for a solid twenty four hours and clicked the cap open. 

Rosemary? Mint? The whole fucking forest? It was like Granny Smith had gone she-hulk and just smacked me upside the face with her entire herb garden. Rocks and all. 

I better get more than just a little kiss for putting up with this.

I stepped from the bathroom still nude, my clothes in my clutches and smashed up against my nose. The fading scent of me that was caught in the fibers was easing the sting in my nostrils, the sting that scorched all the way down my throat. These were clean pajamas and I had every intention to get dressed in the actual bathroom. The stench was too strong. I needed out of there before my eyes started bleeding. 

Maybe not that bad, but I was crying. Why the hell would they make this? I mean… I felt true despair for anyone that had to do this regularly for their job. Hell, I’d quit before I even start. 

I relented into getting dressed when the scent on the clothes was overcome with the smell of this lingering torment. The bedroom was quiet, only the moonlight shone vaguely against the closed blinds of the window. My little omega was nested in the center of the mattress, the blankets pulled every which way from his grasp. Slowly, my touch searched for a way into his little fortress. His slim waist was warm when a path of infiltration was finally found. He fit against my body perfectly, my legs tangling with is as my nose nuzzled into the curve of his neck. His scent of cinnamon was going to be the only thing to protect me from this ungodly piney atrocity.

Something moved from under me, quickly. I was tossed from my side onto my back as awareness snapped to an almost painful peak. Sky was sat up next to me, his face in a disgusted- confused grimace. 

“Were you raped by a Christmas tree?” He snorted before covering his face with the back of his wrist. 

“Well, good morning to you too.” sunlight was blinding, what time even was it?

“Seriously! I have a supper foggy memory of the last twenty four- but I don’t think this was a thing.” He stood from the bed, moving to open a window. I was putting up with this shit’e for him. 

“It’s a thing that’s suppose to help you stay out of red.” the truth whined. The memory seemed to strike Sky all at once. 

“Look, I want to talk to you about that actually.” I held myself up by my forearms, my legs still stretched out before me.

“I’ve been to the shelter on Rickener.” his voice was so soft that I almost missed it. He had been to a shelter before? Doesn’t that mean he’s been red before? His back was to me, his head low as he was braced against the wall. 

“Would you rather I bring you there?” unwelcome disappointment began to sprout. “Should the need come to pass- that is.” 

“Do I have a choice?” he spat the words like venom. 

“Of course you do.” my breath came in short bursts, the words were rushed. Of course he has a choice in this. I mean… He doesn’t have to stay with me- I have a whole list of shelters. 

“I can’t expect you to do that for me.” pinched- his throat must be growing pinched. 

“I want to help you.” among other things. I wanted to give this omega the world. His mere presence made my pulse quicken with excitement. He was like a light in my thoughts. I had to contain myself- I may slip and say ‘I love you.’

“You’ve already done so much. There’s a real chance I would be dead right now without you. Then later on you save me from breeding! You saved my legs.” he finally faced me, tears were streaming his cheeks unchecked. “I couldn’t even protect my pup. They were the only reason I even tried to escape. I almost got both of us killed. Instead it was just him. I have to live with that, don’t I?” I opened a spot on the bed right next to me as an invitation. My voice cooed for him to come here. Panic was setting in again, I already missed that sleepy, dopey face he had last night. 

“I’m beyond proud of you.” My lips kissed his forehead when he laid next to me. My words were only met with a disbelieving groan. 

“You made it to me.” my hand cupped the blackened cheek, there wasn’t a doubt that it would scar. “I don’t think I would have been able to find an omega as amazing as you.”

“You just say that because you want in my pants, don’t you?” his eyes were closed when he accused, his mind was probably elsewhere. 

“I love you.” there they were, without even a second thought beforehand. 

“Whores don’t deserve love.” recited words on his lips. A snarl formed on my lips at an unseen enemy. I wanted to hold him, just keep him away from the world and erase those thoughts from his mind. Blue eyes, one swimming in red, gazed worriedly up at me, I had moved, I had him under me. My omega was pinned to the bed by my body, my elbows digging into the mattress- caging his shoulders, my knees on either side of his thighs. 

“I love you.” I confessed again, this time holding his attention. “It would break me to just drop you off at some shelter for anything.” 

“Okay,” he was soft again, his wide eyes never leaving my face. “I just… don’t think you realize how close I was to… the doctors were getting ready to…” 

“There is a lot on your mind, I’m not even going to pretend it’s easy on you.” my voice breathed on his neck. “I even washed in this ‘raping Christmas tree’ in the hopes it would be a little less for you.” 

“I liked your scent,” he mumbled into my ear, I didn’t realize I was that close to him. “Every time I was slipping, you grounded me in it.” 

“So I did do something right?” his warm skin was growing more and more kissable the closer my lips got to his shoulder.

“The bath was cold.” he remarked with what I assumed to me a smirk. 

“May I kiss you?” I finally forced the word out before I lost my control. 

“Before you commit to helping me… look at my hips.” a sulfuric scent swept up from his skin with that sentence. He was watching my expression when I raised myself off of him. I wanted to ask him why- tell him that I didn’t care. His thumbs caught the edges of his sweatpants before he could change his mind. 

There was a brand, some deformed, botched mark, that was settled just over his crotch: in the sensitive tuck of his hips. I wanted to lower myself to kiss it- to show him that it didn’t bother me. I knew it held a meaning that I didn’t want to acknowledge. That whole part of society that was best to ignore. On his hips, running the line of his thighs and tucking into the folds of his most privates, were blue lines of marker. They were faded- but still clearly stained on the skin. 

“Reyne tried so hard to get rid of them.” Sky whimpered, “I nearly fell into red at the sight of them. He was the only reason I kept at all sane. He promised me that you would take care of me.” That hospital was going to take his legs then and there. The absolute desperation of that woman’s voice when she was begging me to claim to be his alpha was all that much clearer now. 

“They must have called your handlers, they must have given the go-ahead.” even though I was wearing the neutralizer, I was starting to stink the room up with spicy anger. 

“I’m a whore. I was willing, they said they would pay my family enough to take care of my parents and my brothers for their lifetimes.” the blend of sulfur and spice must be worrying someone outside the building. Someone was yelling up at the offending odor. 

“You are my omega.” calm the fuck down Zyane.”I will take care of you- I will kill anyone that comes near you.” the words felt natural. I prayed that Skylar would believe them. He pulled his pants back up in a hurry, as if he was sickened by the sight of himself. 

Once this passes- once this nightmare was over. I was going to change that. I was going to convince him one fucking orgasm at a time that he had nothing to be ashamed of. 

Skylar cooked breakfast. He stood in one spot near the stove while I moved around the kitchen for everything he demanded. Some of the things I have been using wrong this entire time, apparently. It was just eggs and some fried deli ham, but it was probably the most gourmet thing that has ever been conjured in my apartment. 

I knew I loved him for a reason. 

While I was cleaning- he had settled on the still ransacked couch. To my horror, he began to rewatch a movie we had seen last night. Granted he was high as balls when it was on: but I was going to have all of the songs stuck in my head. If I had to suffer through this- I was going to sing so far off key that Sky is going to try to kill me with a pillow. 

I had withstood another marathon of kindergarten. I was sat upside down on the couch. Kind of on the couch. My legs were over the back while my head had sunken off the edge and now my hair graced the thin carpet on the floor. If Sky was phased by this display of childish stupidity- he didn’t show it. In fact, he was leaned against one of my legs as if it were my shoulder. 

“Zyane.” he gripped into my side, his nails cutting into my shirt.

“What?” I attempted a sit-up to be eye level with the pale omega, failing miserably. I threw my legs out over my head, rolling off of the couch and sloppily onto my feet. Skylar was grasping at his throat, his eyes fidgeting wildly. He seemed to try to speak- but he couldn’t quite form the words. My arms embraced his heated skin against me. His flesh had the irrefutable scent of heat. Before I could even get a word out, his lips locked to mine in a desperate kiss.

Fuck- it started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated and you will forever be loved for it!
> 
> As I've said a thousand times: these are just practices, any feedback is super helpful.
> 
> go ahead, be brutal.


	7. Zyane : 7 : Red *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and it's not 2 in the morning. I think this is one of the earliest updates I've done...
> 
> Hope you all don't hate me for this- you'll see what I mean at the end.
> 
> Apparently I put this as a second chapter 6. No you weren't seeing things. Im just stupid. 
> 
> It's fixed now.

I wanted so badly to savor his skilled, heavy kisses. His throat let out desperate mewls as his hands grasped at my clothes. He let me peel his over-sized shirt over his head. A blend of taped over bandages and hot skin rippled under my palms as I tried to coax my eager omega to relax. His soft, suffocating voice began to plead as he arched his head up for another kiss. Anything to draw me closer to him. 

“Let me take care of you.” my breath graced his neck as I chased my words with a string of open mouthed kisses. 

“Alpha.” the sound was heartbreaking, blue eyes so blown I wondered if he could still see from them. 

“I got’cha.” a promise I forever intended to keep. I knew he wasn’t in complete control of himself, but he was absolutely beautiful. I don’t think anyone would be able to control themselves around Skylar. Especially the way he mewls, the way his hands work desperately yet skillfully. He sent chills over my skin with every caress. 

My strength wrapped under his thighs and palmed his butt, I lifted him with every purpose to move him to the bedroom. As I was stumbling quite drunkenly- he managed to lock his mouth on the crook of my neck. He made my legs go to jelly as I pressed him against the wall so I wouldn’t drop him. My teeth sought out the little juncture of his shoulder. 

He cried out at the hickey I was leaving, his arms only pulling me in tight. He was starting to tremble with need, his hips even started to grind into mine as I shuffled the few remaining steps to the bedroom. 

I laid him back on the messy nest of a bed. He didn’t release my neck, tears from the painful need began to spill at the corner of his eyes. 

“Sky, let me take care of you.” the weakness in my voice startled me. Skylar fumbled over himself, his attentions now on the offending belt that still looped my jeans. This was becoming all too real now. This was actually happening. I had his consent… I think? Omega’s put up with a lot of shit from their bodies, maybe I can at least make this somewhat pleasurable for my trembling prince. 

He didn’t allow me to prepare him. His voice was a string of pleads that burned into me more than he could ever realize. I could barely steady his hips as I tried to line myself up with his slick. 

He arched as I leaned over him, our bodies melding. He was gasping, his hands were claws against my skin as he searched for anything to anchor himself to. His body wasn’t going to last long before being pushed over the edge. He needed my knot to end this red though. Well. Stifle the red. Who knows how long this would last. 

God, a part of me wished it never did. 

He was hot around my member, two tight rings of muscle squeezed me clean of my sanity. One from his little pucker, the other of his womb. I knew I had that sensitive bundle of nerves pinned under friction. He just quivered under me as I set the slowest rhythm my body would allow. Sky’s nerves were bare wires to my attentions. I didn’t know how long he could actually hold on to consciousness. 

I peppered kisses of apology and promise into his skin. My fingers dug into the soft flesh of his ass to angle those perfect hips for me. Hell, I wasn’t going to last.

Without my approval, my body began to take on a merciless pace. Sky screamed out in a hoarse voice that doubtlessly could be heard through the thin walls of the apartments. White hot pleasure blinded me for a moment. I couldn’t say if I had cried out or not- but I probably had. Every movement, every jerk my hips convulsed into became more difficult. My knot was forming, right in the tunnel of his womb. When a whimper of pain yelped from Sky’s voice, I willed myself to still. It was so fucking tight- so hot. Any movement now would only tear Sky’s already strained tissue. With shaking arms, I pulled Sky against my chest. He was sat up, his thighs on either side of my hips, his head laid limply on my shoulder as trembles and lingering cries wracked his body. 

I could only hush him carefully, promising that I wasn’t going anywhere. I wasn’t going to hurt him by pulling out forcefully. We were locked together. I dropped to my back, Sky still sprawled on my chest- but he was slightly calmer. Maybe this position helped him believe that I wasn’t about to leave him? 

“I’m so sorry.” Sky hiccuped. His face and limbs were blushed from lust. 

“Don’t” I tried to speak softly, but I was still out of breath. Every little movement this omega made was a blinding ecstasy torment. He seemed to realize this. His soft hair brushed against my chin as he tucked his head down. He was… purring.

He probably didn’t realize it, and I was not about to scare him into silence. I knew this relationship- should it develop- was going to be laced with obstacles. But I truly believe this is the omega for me. This is the person I want to call my husband. 

I hope he likes my dog. 

No, that shouldn’t be a worry right now. Despite the red, everything’s okay, everything is perfect.

I’ll make sure the rest of his life is perfect as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Here's the deal.  
> To me: this story is finished. So the next update will be the start of a new plot. with different characters- chances are a slightly different universe. All that jazz. 
> 
> If you seem to think this isn't a good enough ending, I can continue it for one maybe two more chapters- but It will feel like filler to me, and I really don't like all that much filler. 
> 
> Comment to let me know- otherwise I will be continuing as scheduled.  
> which reminds me. Since this is the end of this plot I will be taking two days off of posting. So on Saturday the 4th I will have something up. ... realistically it'll be Sunday the 5th just at like 2-4 in the morning. 
> 
> Sound good?
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!  
> I just threw a lot at you- go on, be brutal.
> 
> (official word count 18,253)


	8. Jovan : 1 : Three Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I is back!  
> well, I didn't really go very far did I? Regardless, I'm glad I took a few days off of writing to get my thoughts on this one together. I was writing Zyane's so religiously that I actually had to accept that it was over. 
> 
> But here we are with the first little taste of the next story line. The chapters are probably going to start getting noticeably shorter compared to the first story line, but I will try to keep up the schedule of publishing something every day until it is completed. 
> 
> This is the start of Jovan's story: which is totally not a harem. I had a couple concepts I wanted to explore- but I couldn't seem to decide on which one I wanted to focus on so a bunch of things got jumbled. I'll try to be more focused the next round!
> 
> So yeah, Enough nervous rambling!

The city was bright and busy as usual. Myriad of bodies followed the flow of traffic with little interference. Minimal interaction was good- alphas were everywhere. It wasn’t lost on him the glances, or the tipping of the horns as some alphas regarded him as little more than a sex doll. They either whistled, grunted some kind of distaste, or just moved on. 

The remarks of distaste were more relief than they were degrading. That only means there was one less culprit to be weary of. The only one that ever stuck out was “Too old.” Two simple words, but they dug a knife into a most tender spot. Too old at the age of twenty two. Some child, some were, was in the immediate danger of a full grown alpha. Jaydon absolutely dreaded hearing that little comment. 

Regardless of scent, alphas and omegas were easily distinguished. Alphas had demonic horns- which as far as many omegas were concerned- that suited their nature. Omegas had no such things, just simple lithe bodies that strongly resemble the past human’s. Omega’s had retained much of the human intellect and reasoning- unlike a certain hormone ruled counterpart. Still, omega’s have been pushed into the recesses of society- thus all we have today is the same the humans had almost one hundred years ago. An absolute standstill because of absolute stubbornness. 

Jaydon just wanted to get home. He and two other omega buddies rented out an apartment just on the edge of the busiest part of the city. He managed to convince some bar owner that having an omega to serve would bring in curious customers. Oh, it did. The place was absolutely packed and everyone wanted a piece of this phenomenon named Jaydon.

He made more in tips than he thought legal- however. 

Quintin opened the door of the apartment, painfully slowly. Despite the reassuring words from Jaydon- Quin insisted on checking twice through the peep-hole. Then he cracked the door open while the sliding chain was still latched. Quin’s almond eyes nearly swallowed by the nervous black of his pupil.

“It’s me,” Jay barely bit back the rest of his remark. He’s been locked out of this apartment many times by this tormented omega. Jay surely wasn’t in the mood to deal with that today. Bed was the only thing on his agenda. However, strangling Quin was quickly becoming a priority.

“F….. f..f-followed?” Quin’s voice was hoarse from where his throat had been cut years ago. An edge of the wound frayed his vocal cords- not to mention he was beaten nearly senseless whenever he spoke.

Not that he’s ever told anyone- he probably doesn’t even know his roomates have some information on his past. They found some scribbled out journals the night they were afraid that Quin had attempted suicide. The two of them raided everything that could have given them a clue of what was going on.

Quintin hadn’t. He had tried to go out for the mailbox at the entrance of the apartment, gotten frightened, and was hiding out in the janitorial closet. 

“Quin, it’s okay.” Jay tried to sound sincere- but impatience was getting to him. 

“K..” the fragile mind echoed- he had heard that a thousand times. Always from his friends- they never lied to him about it. Jay finally was able to breach the doorway, not even stopping to remove his shoes as he flopped face first into the futon they were using as a couch. 

Quin stuttered something in the kitchen, his voice so arrested in excitement that none of the syllables even translated. He sounded happy though- so exhaustion pulled Jay under anyway. 

Quin was left with the sleepy omega. A book that had come in the mail was grasped in his pale fingers as he regarded Jay. Quin couldn’t even make out Jay’s face from under his tousled red curls. Was he just ignoring Quin, or was he actually asleep? Quin fidgeted from the silence, then flinched when a neighbor slammed their door. His book would bring him some solace. It had to. 

It was written by another omega- that survived almost the exact same thing he had! Quin knew he was broken. He had tried over and over to just… get over it. Somethings were mental- but somethings were actually physical. They always screamed reminders at him. He couldn’t even talk, for god’s sake. 

Another formal knock echoed on the doorway. Nerves prickled away at Quin’s skin as he found himself staring at the doorway. He had just gone through this. It was only Jaydon. Only… Jaydon…

Who is now dead to the world on the futon. 

So Quin would have to answer it… again. Fear was almost suffocating as he inched towards the frame. Another knock nearly sent him spiraling back. 

“It’s ME!” a tempered voice sounded from behind the wooden floodgate. Eugene… 

It was only Eugene… Eugene wouldn’t be stupid enough to be followed. Right? 

A look through the peephole lent a glimpse of black and white hair- the distorted figure looked as if he had his arms full of plastic bags from a store. He really did look like Eugene. 

“Quintin, is that you?” his voice sighed- “why are you doing this to yourself? Where’s lazy ass Jay?”

He really sounded like Eugene. 

The blond nervously cracked the doorway open- his nerves fleeting when he saw the liquid coal darkness of his friend’s eyes. 

“Hey,” he snorted a smile- “You’re gettin’ better at this.”

Quin nearly slammed the door in embarrassment, his cheeks flooded red. Gene called out another time when Quin was taking his time with the final opening of the door. 

He was getting “better.” and someone was watching close enough to notice. 

Gene waddled the arm full of bags to the kitchen. He had slowed briefly to sniff at Jay. Stink of beer and cocktails stung his nose- most of which he had probably spilt onto himself because of being bumped into so many times at work. Deciding quickly that Jay smelled more like a brewery than even warranted from working at a bar. He looked over Quin’s anticipatory stance, something grasped against his chest like a lifeline. The second smile of the day cracked his lips, he finally got that god forsaken book. 

Gene had a good night- albeit slow. He assumed most of his patrons were going to see Jaydon at RowlKin Bar. Gene couldn’t really complain, having someone help out with the bills would be amazing. Plus Jay had managed to get a legal position. A legal job. 

Eugene’s work was… questionable at best. But it pays marginally well for what an omega could expect. He was nervous that Jaydon would face the same options he had when Jay announced he wanted to work. Pride and relief swept over the guarded optimism that was Eugene. Jay would not need to know what selling his body was like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!
> 
> Feel free to be brutally honest, these are practice.


	9. Jovan : 2 : Unnervingly Passive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was writing this with a super determined dog demanding my attention. Normally I can ignore such things (after I'm sure he's okay of course) but he's a sixty pound husky that thinks he's a lap dog.  
> This think is probably riddled with typos and plot holes.
> 
> I'll go back through it tomorrow after this moose settles down, if I make any major changes I'll leave a note in the next chapter.
> 
> I tried.

Jaydon didn’t give any signs of awakening until the smell of food hung thickly in the apartment. Eugene was fussing over a pan, grumbling to himself over something of his own doing. Quintin was nested on the floor, bathed in the noon sun, with his prized possession open on his lap. 

The three were happy living together. In a world run by horny bastards- figuratively and literally- it was nice to retreat somewhere safe. The only reminder that alphas were amidst was the fleeting scent that managed to worm its way into the home. Right now, it was over run by the pungent sting of garlic. 

Eugene had used way too much- and his eyes were watering from it. 

Jaydon’s boss was originally skeptical of taking on an omega employee, but with the recent boom of business he was nearly commanding Jay to work more. The stress of a hundred hungry alphas was only outweighed by the need of money. 

Jay was quick to learn that he earned a lot more if he flirted. Nothing outrageous- just enough to inhabit the imagination of some rut ready alpha. He just clocked out of his shift, a liquor drenched apron folded and clutched under an arm. He would need to clean his uniform before work tomorrow- not that it would really make a difference. 

He had made almost three hundred dollars just that night. That was outrageously high for anyone, let alone a newbie omega. Like this- Eugene would be able to stop his job… well… “job.”

Jay knew what his roommate was putting up with to keep a roof over all of their heads. Before this, Gene earned the money, Jay did the shopping, Quin kept the house. Clean-cut tasks that kept them out of the radar of most lust stricken alphas. 

A hand slammed against he wall, mere inches from his nose as he tried to sneak out the backdoor of the kitchen. A cook he never quite got the name of was leaned over him with a sickening smile.  
“Going home alone?” the greasy cook purred. The red head tried to snarl with all the resolve an omega could muster. Fat fingers twisted in his fiery curls, “Come to my place? Or the alley way, for that matter.” 

Jaydon summoned all of his strength as he shoved the pudgy man away. He didn’t even look back as he bolted from the door, he knew the alpha would try to retaliate and no one would even bother to step in if he was caught.

Jay was a lot more fit than the cook however. Jay’s thin legs sprinted with forced effort while the pig of a man barely made it to the mouth of the street. Jay was long gone by the time the cook was able to look for him. 

This scent of liquor drew the attention of alphas better than light draws insects. A drunken omega?

He must be an easy target.

The red head managed to duck behind a shipping box, his breath rasping against his ribs. A group of three alphas were trailing him- and they were not giving up. They called and whistled, some pedestrians pointed them the direction he was running. His throat was raw as he tried to muffle the sound with his palms. He had his eyes screwed shut- focusing on the sound of the trio. If they got any closer, he would need to bolt again. Maybe he could scale a fence in the back of an alley. That’s gotten a couple off of his trail before. He could feel his muscles already trembling from work- this exertion was demanding too much of his body. 

He was almost home- he just had to hold on a little longer. 

The trio was giving up hope until a certain elderly fuck shouted to them. Yeah, here’s to hoping his body doesn’t give out half way into the jump. Jay opened his eyes to immediately be met with a set of grey ones. His hair was pitch black and almost to his chin, his horns were straight and nearly as long. Jay jolted back, skidding the crate a few inches along the concrete. The alpha had a strange somber look on his face as he took in the details of the panicked omega. He glanced at the three college aged punks and instantly went feral. Fangs sharpened as he snarled, his hands grew gnarled and clawed as he dropped into a stance. Jay wanted to scream- but it was caught in is throat. The four collided, the scent of blood was instantaneous. 

Jaydon didn’t know how long he was frozen, but the fighting had long stopped. No one seemed to approach him- no one ripped him from his crouched position. His eyes had screwed shut after a clawed hand caught hold of a clavicle. The ruby blood still steaming as it ran the length of the forearm of that black haired alpha. Shortly after that- the fighting seemed to have ceased, or at least moved away. For the second time, Jay braved to open his eyes. About ten feet deeper into the alleyway was that alpha, slumped back against the brick wall. He was awake, Jay could tell by that gaze that seemed to pierce his existence. 

Why hadn’t he claimed Jaydon as his trophy? 

Jay stood on trembling legs. His eyes never leaving the unnervingly passive alpha. 

“You’re hurt?” Jay’s voice was small, grasping for any clue of what was going on. 

“Don’t scream it too loud.” The alpha had a gruff voice, one that made him want to submit even though he was sure the alpha hadn’t used a command. 

“You. protected. Me?” Jay’s emerald eyes suddenly widened- what kind of sick trick was this?

“Don’t read too much into it.” that same gruff, passive voice. “You just want to make a living- same as me.” Jay stood silently regarding this… anomaly. 

“You can’t fight… can you?” Jay braced himself as soon as the words slipped out. An alpha that couldn’t fight would be picked off by others. This man would be dead by daylight. 

“Get out of here before you gain someone else’s attention.” The alpha tried to get up, his fangs starting to reform from the effort. He would have to go feral to just walk. 

“You can crash at my place,” Jay’s words took a moment to take effect. The alpha’s eyes narrowed on the red head. A smart bark of laughter bubbled up from his throat.

“You look young- I’ll let that be the excuse for your stupidity.” The alpha’s muscles shook in protest until he was able to straighten out on his feet. 

“If you wanted to hurt me, you would have before those others had a chance to find me.” Sounded more like Jay was convincing himself. The alpha shrugged, his own mind regarding the chances he had surviving the night without this dimwit. 

“Chances are, I won’t be able to walk normally until morning.” The alpha admitted with a growl, his mind must have slipped back to the punks.

“Just until morning- then you go on your way.” Jay rationed. He received a rumbling grunt, the alpha nodded for Jay to show the way.

Jay was growing more and more apprehensive as he lead the way to the apartment door. Neither of the other two were home at the moment- Jaydon knew that. They didn’t necessarily have cellphones to warn each other either: only alphas could sign any form of contract. 

The door was heavier than normal as he unlocked the latch. The alpha followed wordlessly. He probably couldn’t form a word at the moment if he wanted to. His breathing was ragged- blood was drying where it had streamed the side of his face, the cut had already healed over. Even if this alpha had broken bones- he would be back to murderous fashion by morning. 

“Bathroom’s down the hall, you can have the futon if you want.” Jay spoke robotically- watching his guest. He knew exactly how Quin was going to react. Eugene would probably kill Jaydon. 

The alpha had cleaned himself up, his feral form retracted back to smoother albeit aged features. He didn’t even acknowledge the nest Jay had built out of nerves when he sat on the dark futon. 

“Don’t think I ever got your name, Alpha.” Jay thought aloud, his ears trained for a hint if his roommates were returning. “I’m Jaydon.” he added after an afterthought. 

“Jovan.” The alpha answered stiffly. “If I bother you so much- I’ll just leave.” Jay’s voice hitched, trying to convince the alpha that it was okay. Jovan only snapped for Jay to stop stinking up the place than. Right, Alphas were super attuned to such emotions weren’t they? Well… when they cared to be.

“I have two roommates.” Jay blurted, “One will be afraid, the other may attack.”

Jovan chuckled to himself- so that’s the catch. 

It was another half an hour before the other two came home. Jaydon was in the bedroom- wishing he could pretend to be asleep. 

Quin screamed in his broken voice- a heartbreaking sound. 

Eugene growled with a vengeance demanding for Jaydon to “Get in here.”

“The fuck are you thinking!?” Gene snapped, his eyes gone wild. The black irises suddenly very demonic. Without really thinking, Gene turned an accusing finger toward the spectorly alpha, “Don’t you fucking try a thing!”

Jovan only raised his hands in surrender with an amused glint in his grey eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!
> 
> Don't let me go insane alone!


	10. Jovan : 3 : Silenced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only made a couple minor changes to the last chapter. Just a handful of typos and misplaced whatevers. I also shook up some of the vocabulary just to break up the repetitive use of some words. 
> 
> Hopefully you enjoy this chapter- It wasn't 100% of what I wanted to do, but I guess it's going into tomorrows update.

“Gene, he protected me.” Jay’s explanation landed on disbelieving ears. Eugene stalked over to the omega and cracked him across the face. Gene’s heated words became a blur to everyone in the room as Jay picked himself up off of the floor. Quin had tried to scurry to Jaydon’s side- his thin fingers reaching out to his dazed friend. Gene’s dark eyes pinned the already nerve-racked omega, causing him to stumble back.

Quin found himself between his two nightmares: an unknown alpha and the wrath of Eugene. Gene straightened himself as he faced the dark haired alpha that was still sitting on his futon. 

“I don’t know what you want but I can guarantee it isn’t fucking happening.” His voice was liquid rage, he couldn’t believe Jaydon would be so stupid- he couldn’t believe this alpha was being so passive.

The ones that pretended to be passive always ended up being the worst ones. Eugene should know.

“A place to sleep.” Jovan spoke as if the omega’s rage was ineffective. “I have two broken ribs and a pierced lung- I wouldn’t be able to attack anyone if I wanted to.”

“You’re hiding here than.” Gene’s voice was more matter of fact than a question, his dark eyes turned back to Jaydon. “You brought in a fucking stray.”

Jaydon chuckled nervously. He didn’t really think of it like that before. He looked between Gene and Jovan a few times before he got the nerve to speak.

“He was working… I think, when he saw me hiding from those three.”

“I had just gotten off,” Jovan supplied with a nod, “I actually work on trucks- mostly manhandling boxes filled to the brim with fragile, useless shit’e.”

“I need to go to work.” Eugene let his vision burn into the alpha, he was etching every detail of this man into his memory. “I need to know you aren’t going to be an ass to these two.”

“I won’t get up from this very spot without your permission,” Jovan spoke decisively- a bratty smirk playing across his face. Eugene let out an unamused growl. The alpha only smiled a touch wider. Quin had fallen to his knees, baring his neck. 

“Go be safe at work…. Gene, was it?” Jovan nodded, his hands finally lowering to his lap, his elbows took some of his weight as he leaned forward. Quin caught the look of pain the flashed the alpha’s face. It was there only for a fraction of a second- but … alpha’s felt pain?

Gene sent another warning glare to Jay, silently demanding for Jay to handle this, before he turned abruptly to gather his coat. He was already late to his post- granted the bouncers would barely even notice. 

The three sat in silence. The alpha didn’t honestly seem bothered by it at all as he was laid back on the futon, grotesque popping sounded from his chest as the bones moved back to their respective positions. Jay had tried to settle Quin, defaulting to letting the little omega build a nest in the middle of the bedroom floor. The long haired blond was now happily curled in the fluff- his book already halfway read through on his lap.

Jay had a bag of clothes set at his feet. He was nervously eying the alpha as he contemplated how stupid this was going to be.

“I need to run to the laundromat.” His voice shook with uncertainty. Jovan turned his head to look over the freckled redhead. 

“You going to be okay by yourself?” Jovan’s comment made Jay’s knees weak. Yeah, Jay was going to be okay. It was Quin he was worried about! The look on the man’s face didn’t seem to have the same intentions that Jay feared. 

“I’ll only be gone for a few minutes.” Jay began to warn, fruitlessly. Jovan sat up a touch too quickly, when he tried to stand, however, he gnashed his teeth to fight against the feral change.

“I can’t go with.” he sounded defeated. Something seemed to play through his mind as he flopped back as a worthless lump. “I’m sorry.” Quin will be okay. He has to be okay. Jay hefted the bag onto his shoulders as he announced he was leaving. 

The house had gone back to silence. Jovan figured it would stay this way- with the skittish kitten of an omega hiding in the other room. He didn’t really have any need to flush out the little one, he didn’t really want to scare him any more than he already was. Jovan knew his mere presence was taxing. 

If only he was stronger, he wouldn’t need to antagonize such an innocent little one. The aches were relentless as the wounds were mending themselves. Jovan won the fight- barely- but he was paying for it. He was going to need to face that he wasn’t a spring chicken anymore, age was starting to be a factor with some of these alpha rutts being ten years younger than him. 

If only- yeah. That’s a cliche and a half by itself. 

He heard movement in the room. The childish scent of anxiety began to waft about his senses, cutting straight through his own musk. He peeked a curious eye when he heard the chain of a lock slide into place. Quin was checking the doorway, locking himself in securly. Jovan tried to stay perfectly still as to not remind the little omega of his presence. 

Quintin realized all at once. His voice was shattered. He fell to his knees as he dropped his head to the side. His neck wide open for the spectating alpha. Quin’s nerves made him feel as if he was being shocked. Like he was back with that demon and he was about to be tazed yet again. The alpha moved silently- slowly. Quin couldn’t tell if it was from some unseen pain the alpha was in, or if he was actually afraid to approach.

Jovan knelt to his knees a few feet in front of the omega. He had met the omega’s eyes and was willing for them to stay locked. Carefully, slowly, Jovan upturned his wrists on either side of his knees and tilted his head the same direction as the omega. Only then did Jovan break the eye contact. 

An alpha was completely surrendering. The omega stared in disbelief. His brown eyes fidgeting from not knowing what to do next. Normally he would be told what to do- but this? To him? 

Quin was a broken omega… why would? 

Jovan was patient as he allowed Quin to gather his thoughts. Jovan could see the scar that crossed the omega’s slim throat, he could hear the struggle it was to talk, he could see the burn marks of cigarettes down those slender arms: Jovan wanted to do everything he could to show he didn’t mean him any harm. 

“Why?” Quin’s question was on a breath. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, little one.” Jovan’s voice was deeper than Quin was expecting- something between a purr and a growl. It startled him to his feet, he found himself standing over a completely submissive alpha. His voice chirped a few more times, his hands suddenly could not be still as they fidgeted relentlessly. Quin’s stutter took over his speech. With a never before seen patience, Jovan sat in silence until he could gather what the little one was trying to say. 

What do I do?

“You don’t have to do anything,” Jovan tried to soothe. “I saw you carrying around a book, May I see it?” A light shined in Quin’s eyes as he nodded happily. That look told Jovan that it was safe to move now, not that he was going to lift himself off of the floor. He probably couldn’t stand without shifting and he had to avoid doing such a thing around this skittish little kitten. 

Quin emerged with the book clutched to his chest. He had brought a part of his nest with him this round. To the surprise of Jovan, the little omega was nearly against his thighs as this kitten thrusted the book out for him to take. 

“Silenced” by… omega. Right. Omega’s didn’t get their names on anything- they were lucky enough to be half acknowledged. Jovan flipped the cover to read the description. His heart leapt into his throat when he realized this was a survivor’s story. By the glowing pride that radiated off of Quin, Jovan assumed they had a lot in common. 

“When you are done, maybe you would allow me the honor of borrowing it?” Jovan’s low voice was purposely soft. Quin reached desperately for the book back, which was returned promptly. Jovan watched in wonder as the omega flipped to a dog-eared page, one far behind where his bookmark was. He leaned closer to Jovan, allowing him to read the page. His finger pointed out a chapter insistently. 

“Speak again and I will kill you. Omega, you fuck up again and I’ll bring you right back to the brothel. Only damn thing you’re good at is presenting your slut hole.” Jovan couldn’t bare to read anymore. His healing stomach twisted at how many marked pages there were in this recount of hell. Quin’s face held expectation and a morbid relief.

He wasn’t alone in what he went through- somehow that makes things easier to face. Quin has wanted to show this whole recollection to his friends, have a way to share what has been ringing through his head. He couldn’t speak, his writing was nearly non-existent except for what Eugene had tried teaching him. This book felt like a god sent- finally a way to share his burden. He couldn’t even bring himself to care that the first person to actually listen to him was an alpha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All comments are appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!
> 
> don't let me go insane alone~


	11. Jovan : 4 : Fire-Breather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IF you don't like swearing you will not like Eugene.  
> Just sayin'

Quin was half asleep on Jovan’s shoulder by the time Jaydon had arrived home. Not that he was gone particularly long- it seemed to be long past little one’s bedtime. Jaydon used his key on the lock, the door promptly rattling against the chain.

Quintin woke with a start, he had jolted himself away from the sound. The blankets he was nested in tangled around his limbs, trapping him. Jovan, who was almost sound asleep, was jostled violently by the panicked kitten. 

Jay’s voice snapped into a snarl as he demanded to be let in, demanding to know what was going on.

“Get the fuck away from Quintin!” the omega launched his shoulder against the doorway. Quin had managed to escape to the farthest corner of the room, his broken cries wheezing from his throat. Jovan was torn for a moment, run to the door to let in the protective omega, or run to the corner to shelter the trembling kitten. After another shuttering impact to the door- Jovan let his legs sprint to let in Jaydon. The fear of shifting in front of Quin long out of his mind. Jay burst through the entrance, fists bouncing off of Jovan’s chest. Thank god he had a chance to heal- the assault was almost unnoticeable. 

“Gene told you not to try anything! I should have listened to him!” Jay was rambling, he managed to swing the full bag of clothing over his head, landing a strike on the Alpha’s deflecting forearms. 

“You’re the one that is scaring him!” Jovan raised his voice for the first time in a long while. He use to use his commands flippantly- but then he saw how they affected the omegas he use to take for granted. Jay dropped to his knees at the sound- his pupils wide as dinner plates. 

“Quin is okay- he’s scared of that door, it seems.” Jovan softened his tone once he was sure he wasn’t about to be swatted at again. Jaydon’s focus fell to the crumpled form. He had all of his clothes. His nest was dragged out to the living room, albeit thrown around in the chaos. Quin was the only one to ever put the chain on the door before, it wasn’t that far of a stretch that he would do it this time. 

He always chained the door when he was alone.

“I’m in your debt for giving me a place to hide while I healed up.” Jovan earned Jay’s attention again, “I would never repay you by harming your friends.” Jovan’s callused hand reached out to help Jay up off of the floor. He felt a pang of regret for causing Jay to submit like this- but Quin wouldn’t be able to handle much more if he hadn’t. 

The two omegas had promptly gathered up the scattered nest and retreated back to the bedroom. If they were awake, they were actively trying to hide that fact by how quiet they had become. Jovan was pacing slightly, both testing out the extent he had healed and unnerved by the lingering scent of panic. It felt good to pace, the porch’s glass door had a beautiful view of the city below. Jovan wondered if the weather was as nice as it appeared. In the middle of summer it was probably an oven just on the other side of that pane. Which ultimately meant he couldn’t air out the room. 

Jovan had found the book tossed by the kitchen. It must have flown out of Quin’s hands when he panicked. Although the paper cover was sporting a new crease, it looked relatively unharmed and was placed reverently on the counter. 

Jovan managed to sit himself on the futon without the itch to bounce his knees. It had been about an hour since Jay and Quin had went to bed, two hours maybe since Eugene had left for work. He was certain that the two were sleeping by the floating scent of peace that drifted from the hallway. That was probably the only reason he was able to sit still. 

He could hear the lock of the door being fiddled with. It seemed to take the person a couple tried to find the keyhole, then a couple weakened test tries to turn it to unlocked. Jovan’s alpha was growling somewhere in the back of his mind. His grey eyes had to have been lined with a dangerous red as he silently challenged whoever it was to enter the room. 

Eugene stumbled in, catching himself on the wall before gaining the strength to press the door closed. Jovan held his breath at the sight, Gene looked both sickly and feral at the same time. Gene’s breathing was ragged, his head hung low as he walked with an uneven gait. 

Gene ambled over to the sink before slouching onto the counter- his head on his arms as he tried to stifle whatever noise tried to escape him. The pheromone of rejection and blood was thickly washing the room. Jovan was almost worried that it would send the little kitten into another episode of hysteria. 

“Gene.” Jovan’s voice tested the intensity that was this omega’s presence. He had earned a snort of distaste, the omega willing his trembling limbs to open the cabinet above him. He managed to fish out a small box before the tremors took over. His find skidded across the floor away from him. Chased only by the omega’s heated glare. 

Jovan strides over to retrieve the run away tea, instead of handing it to the seething omega, he kept his hold on it firmly. Gene let out a warning growl. A rumble that was interrupted intermittently by tremors that wracked his form.

“Fuck off, Alpha.” Eugene managed a snarl, he raised a defiant glare. Blood was leaking from the corner of his eyes, leaving morbid streaks down his porcelain cheeks.  
“Go get settled.” Jovan passively began to search the cupboards for a mug. 

“I don’t need you, Alpha-fuck.” Gene lashed out with dulled claws. 

“My name is Jovan,” the dark haired alpha began to fill the mug for the tea, “Go on.”

“You name is Piss-Ass for all I care.” the omega shoved against the muscular form again. “I don’t need you!”

“Someone must have knotted you, now you’re going through ‘abandonment.’ Let me help.” Jovan was dangerously close to the point of command, his chest rumbling familiarly. 

“I’m only like this because of some Alpha-fuck like you, you fucking stray!” Gene knew he would be okay. He’s been through this many times before. He’ll just hideout on the porch or something so this scent doesn’t alarm the other two. Just, why the fuck did it have to be tonight? Knotting didn’t happen all that often, but tonight?! His second client of all things. He really needed the money, and he really didn’t need this alpha here pretending to be a good guy. This was a piss off every which way. 

“Go.” Jovan dipped into a command. The omega didn’t drop, in fact he stood there visibly resisting his instinct. Another droplet of blood trailed his face. Jovan sighed, taking the omega’s chin in a palm.

“I get it.” he hushed the curse that was brimming the defiant one’s lips. “Think of this as a ‘Thank you’ for not killing me earlier. Or… if it makes it easier- think of me as just another client.”

Gene’s black eyes burned with venom despite his mouth snapping shut. Jovan released him, turning back to his simple task. 

“Don’t think you’re going to carry me around like some fucking princess.” Jovan knew Gene couldn’t hold his tongue for long. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it. I’ve grown rather attached to my eyes.” that bratty smirk was back on the alpha’s face as those grey orbs flashed over his shoulder. 

Jovan approached the futon slowly, the sight of Eugene perplexed him thoroughly. He was completely naked, face down, butt in the air. The alpha’s stomach twisted when he saw the blood leaking from the inflamed entrance. Granted he didn’t really want to see this side of Gene- it was stupidly hard to miss. 

“Why would you present while you’re hurting?” the alpha set the mug of steeping tea on the low table. He only heard a scoff come from Gene’s strained throat. 

“I don’t want to make love to you, Gene.” Jovan had lowered himself to kneel on the floor next to the distressed omega. 

“How else does one ‘help’ than- all knowing fuckwad.” Gene snorted then, for the first time, braced for a retaliation. Alpha’s low voice hushed him gently, his fingers began to thread through the thick, bi colored hair of the omega.

“It looks like someone forcefully separated from you.” Jovan let his palm support the under curve of Gene’s skeletal hips, “Please, just relax.” Gene went limp under the ministrations out of habit. He knew to start by presenting, then he quickly learned to let the alpha’s have their way. Let them dictate what their fantasy was. Gene was not expecting to be propped up in the futon by every pillow the alpha could find, his body was wrapped by all the blankets that normally resided on the couch. 

“What are you doing?” the venom Gene always spit seemed to be running dry. Jovan only smiled, lifting the tea for Gene to take. 

“Has no one ever stayed with you after a knotting?” the question was met with silence. The blood that was smeared on the explosive omega’s face twisted him into something dark. 

“Hopefully I don’t smell too bad for being a ‘fuckwad stray’.” Jovan’s voice smiled, “I just need to stay right here on the floor. Whatever you need- you may need to tell me where it is…” the afterthought interrupted his gloating. 

“Fucking Piss-Ass.” Gene’s voice mumbled into the mug, it sounded like a final lash before a defeat. Like a chihuahua’s final word in any situation. The smile nearly cracked the alpha’s face in half. He would be honored if a fire-breathing omega like Eugene would ever give him a chance to court them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading my rambles~  
> Please feel free to comment, I answer all comments, questions, or smart ass remarks  
> go on, I challenge you.


	12. Jovan : 5 : Bed Slug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have like 4 more chapters of this story- but this one is all nice and fluffy for the hell that is about to unfold.

Morning came too early. Jovan was slumped onto the floor by the couch with Eugene sleeping in the most unflattering position possible. Little Quin was the first to wander around the sleeping apartment. All worries he held melted away when he saw his prized possession on the counter-top. He skipped over, fingers tracing the new indents on the bind when he passed it between his palms. 

He was amazed that he was okay with Jovan’s presence. If it were anyone else Quin would be desperate to escape. The thought that this gentle alpha had to leave soon scared him. He could smell Eugene when he came back from work early. Eugene only ever came home early for one reason. Quin was wondering if Gene would allow him to help this time- every other time Gene had swatted him away. Saying that Gene wasn’t worth Quin’s time. When that low purr of the alpha started to filter through the house- Quin knew Gene would be okay. 

This had to have been the first time Gene’s slept the night he had dealt with a knot. 

Quin found himself staring at the two. The apartments around them starting to come to life. Granted the other tenants were a lot less danty than the three omegas. Quin wondered if Jovan would be just as loud since he was an alpha, but he didn’t seem to follow any of the other stereotypes. 

Jay was the next to crawl out of bed, taking his blanket with him as he lumbered down the hallway. The blond waved enthusiastically at the less than thrilled omega. His efforts earned him half a smile and a grunt as the bed slug approached the dormant coffee pot. 

The smell of coffee woke Eugene from the dead. 

Eugene stepping on Jovan was the alpha’s wake-up call. A half hearted whine was Jovan’s complaint as Gene stumbled, stepping on the alpha twice more before finding sanctuary on the carpet. 

“Fuck, Sorry.” Gene scowled as if it was the alpha’s fault for being there. Jovan dragged himself up off of the floor, stretching out his stiff muscles as he went. The bed slug had moved on to occupy the armchair of the attached living room. Jay’s blanket nearly encased the thing- lending to his appearance of some kind of bed monster. Given how he clutched to his mug of coffee, he was probably one morning alarm away from going postal.

Jovan didn’t really get up. He just moved himself from the floor to the futon right next to him. He was sat up at least, kind of. He pawed childishly at the hair that was hanging in his face, growing frustrated as a certain lock just wouldn’t behave. Just as he was about to go feral over the stupid, groggy minded problem, the bright eyes of the smallest omega distracted him. 

Quin seemed to have noticed the problem and he was bouncing to Jovan’s side. The kitten’s wide brown eyes smiled at the silly style sleep had donned the alpha with. No one expected Quin to start running his fingers through the dark hair of the alpha, combing it back into some semblance of order. 

Eugene was caught off guard the most, his eyes wide and fearful. A possessive growl began to rumble from Gene’s throat. Quin turned to him, his head tilted in question.

“You don’t know this alpha.” Gene warned, “You of all people should know to be careful!” Quin fiddled with his hands close to his chest. His eyes flashed back to Jovan, as if asking if the alpha would ever hurt him. 

“I’m not like that.” Jovan answered the unsaid question. Jovan ran a hand over a knot in his shoulder out of nerves. “If it’s better- I can get going?” 

Quin let out a little yelp- his arms were thrown over the alpha’s shoulders. Jovan suddenly couldn’t breathe as the kitten nuzzled in closer. All the color had drained from both Jay and Gene’s faces. 

“No.” his fragile voice begged. Jovan looked to the other two for guidance. 

“Breakfast?” Jay offered, finally slipping free of his bedding cocoon. 

“Did you bond Quin last night?” Eugene accused, his eyes darting as his mind searched for logic behind this.

“No. Gene- if I wanted sex, wouldn’t I have behaved differently with you?” Jovan’s voice suddenly grew hard. Quin didn’t seem bothered- but Gene felt his blood run cold.

“I guess.” his response was small for a fire-breather. 

Once everyone had snapped out of their collective daze, Jaydon started moving about the kitchen. Feeling useless- Jovan tried to offer help. The alpha was outnumbered by the omegas, every action he took only ended up in the way. Within five minutes he was collectively voted out to the living room. 

The food was amazing- not that Jovan really expected any less. He tried to not acknowledge how close to his side Quin was sitting. Jovan could feel the spot Gene was burning into with his glare. Jay was slightly more forgiving, he at least had some context of what happen. 

“I have to get to work.” Jovan groaned when he checked the time. “Look, I couldn’t really thank you guys enough for all this.” The three regarded the almost shy demeanor of this strange alpha. Jovan smiled at a thought.  
“Why don’t I drop some bakery or something when I get off?” 

“Both Jay and I work.” Gene’s voice challenged. Jay agreed quickly, but that didn’t stop Quin from looking excitedly towards Jovan, bouncing in his spot. 

“I’ll just drop it off.” Jovan shrugged- “I get it, but you guys live here by yourselves in a world of monsters. Can’t blame me if I worry.”

“You’re going to do whatever you want anyway, aren’t you?” Gene sighed, finally dropping his gaze to his mutilated omelette. 

“Fruity or chocolate?” the alpha’s smirk was back. Gene had to restrain himself from flinging his glass of juice at the smug expression. Jaydon couldn’t help the giggle that was bubbling up. For once- Eugene seemed outnumbered.

"If you start treating us like some kind of harem, I swear to fuck!" there's the fire-breather. Jovan let that smirk tease a little longer, not saying much else as he gathered his few things to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated and you will forever be loved for it!


	13. Jovan : 6 : Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my ninja friends~
> 
> We've already pushed 330 hits at the time I'm posting this. That is absolutely insane and I thank everyone for the curiosities! Be sure to have your hugs and hot chocolates ready for this round. Maybe I just have a twisted soft spot for this kind of scenarios- but they normally get to me.

“Look what the cat dragged in.” the older man teased as he watched his son sneak in through the back door. 

“Sorry- got caught up in something.” Jovan hoped that would appease the greying alpha until he was able to have the excuse of working. 

“You smell like a harem.” he nudged his son- earning a couple sniffs from the co-workers. Jovan only chuckled nervously, retreating into the warehouse. His father and he owned this little shipping company, but workers were getting hard to come by. So if he wanted anything done- he would have to do it himself. That was okay, it was better him lifting these bastard boxes than his stubborn mule father. 

The day dragged, his muscles were pushed to their limit by the seasonal influx of orders. Truck after truck occupied the loading dock either expecting to be unloaded or expecting the order from earlier in the day to have been sorted and filed back into the claustrophobic container. Out of the four others scheduled to show up, only two of them had. This was the second time in a row Rome hadn’t even called in. 

Remembering how vulnerable he was the night before- Jovan couldn’t help but worry for the lanky youth. Jovan’s father had gone home early yesterday. Dad could have very well come to open the shop in the morning and found his son gutted on the loading dock. 

He really needed to find a way to thank the idiots. 

“Hey, Rom’a.” he heard his father on the cellphone in the office- Jovan was sneaking in a break in between loads. “Just give us a call- we ain’t even mad about the no shows.” A part of Jovan’s heart sank, still no word from that kid. 

Jovan ended up staying past close- Geo and he were cleaning up the mess of an overturned soda crate. Father headed home a few hours back. Jovan had sent all his love to his mom through the smart-aleck man. He was relieved more than anything that this spill happened after the greying alpha had left. 

“Get home safe.” Geovanti cracked his back out of habit, his ratty brown hair stuck every which way from his short horns.

“Same to you.” Jovan pulled his hair out of the bun he had it tied up in the majority of the day. It was just early enough to still catch that coffee shop at the edge of the river. It would be a straight shot to the trio’s apartment from there. Jovan also smelt like an ox. He could go to the shop then take a detour to his own suite. 

A shower sounded nice. He was sure that the kitten would appreciate it especially since this would be the second day’s worth of work stink built up. Jovan peeled his uniform over his head, even his own nose crinkled at the sweat soaked fabric. 

Jovan felt more like he was approaching a first date than utterly necessary. The bag of assorted goodies was nearly crumpled in his fist, his car keys jingled from his other hand with his gait. Quin should be the only one home, maybe Jay would be getting off in half an hour or so. Eugene wouldn’t be back until day break. 

Their door was just on the right of the elevator- Jovan was sure of it… Why was it open? Quintin always double locked the apartment- why would he leave it ajar? The scent of panic was souring the hallway, Jovan knocked once on the thin wood, hearing the clatter of a chain bounce on the other side. The anchor of the latch was missing from the door jam- strained, cracked wood was splintered where it had tried to hold. Jovan was already half shifted when he slammed the weakened door against the wall. Someone had forced their way in- if they were still here Jovan swore he was going to murder them. 

The silence of the still apartment was deafening. Things were thrown around, not overtly broken- but tossed enough to prove Quin attempted to protect himself. The bag of sweets was forgotten somewhere while Jovan stalked the edges of the rooms. He held his growls in his throat, his grey eyes eaten over with a glowing red. 

He couldn’t even trust his voice to call out Quin’s name. 

Jovan stalked to the bedroom, more things were thrown around. The room was still, even with his senses on edge he couldn’t pick up any whimpers from his little kitten. The scent was stronger in this room though- along with the musky stink of an alpha’s arousal. Looks like whoever did this had already left. 

Jovan tried to speak, only a snarl escaped. Just as quickly he silenced himself. If Quin was here, going full on feral was not going to help. 

Little late for that.

Jovan lowered himself to check under the three twin sized beds. Boxes and shoes greeted him. There really wasn’t room for the little one to worm his way under any of them. The alpha raised to his feet, his eyes sweeping the cluttered room. There was a mental note of a linen closet and the bathroom in the hallway. The only other door seemed to be the folding doors of the bedroom closet. 

Jovan didn’t want to open the doors. Only monsters were ever rumored to hide in closets- monsters and nightmares. He fitted his lengthened teeth together and nearly crushed the frame of the faux wood. 

Quintin was among the mess of shredded clothing. He was deathly still, his tiny frame on its side facing the back wall. Jovan almost caved to the instinct of howling.  
Jovan’s clawed hands ripped Quin from the floor, his head lolling without support as the alpha tried pull him into an embrace. 

“No other alpha” was carved into the back wall of the closet- clearly done by another’s set of claws. Jovan couldn’t afford to let the meaning behind it sink in- he had to make sure Quin was okay. He had to make sure this kitten was alive. 

Jovan didn’t fully realize when he had tucked Quin against his throat- right against his scent. All Jovan knew was that his muscles and instincts itched to carry Quin away. Get away from this tainted apartment… maybe to his own. He knew no one would dare trespass his home, his omega would be safe. All three of them would be safer there. He just barely stopped his automatic response when he made the first few steps into the hallway. 

Fuck, it was hard thinking straight. 

He turned, forcing his path to lead to the futon. Jovan tried to ignore the claw marks that raked into the thin fabric, the furnisher still worked. It had to work. Quin was too limp to allow Jovan to settle down at all. His hands were restless and unsure as he tried to clear his mind enough to take note of every detail. Quin’s wrists were bound by dark tape, his fingers turning an odd hue from the tightness. His face had been taped as well. His waist length hair caught crudely in the adhesive. Lines of red were smeared down his paled cheeks. The drying blood starting at the corners of his closed eyes. The omega was completely nude except for shallow lacerations that randomly littered his flesh. Jovan could only imagine the kind of fight Quin had put up. Even if it was only fueled by fear- there was no doubt that Quin had fought.

Fought and lost, all alone, because Jovan wanted a shower. 

Quin was breathing shallowly, border lining a morbid peacefulness. His pulse was thrumming wildly, however, as if his heart couldn’t keep up with the hormones that were plaguing this omega.

Jovan tried to not nick the tender skin of his kitten as his claw wedged under the merciless tape. As Quin’s thin lips were uncovered three red lines from Jovan’s prying stained his cheek.The alpha hissed his frustration, not even trying to remove the tape from hair as of yet. His attentions turned to the abused wrists instead. Both of Quin’s hands fit in the palm of the alpha’s. He had forced himself to be careful- slow. Until a scream shocked him out of his focus and he clutched the omega blindly.

Jovan had launched himself clear to the other side of the living room when Jaydon panicked. Both men stared wide eyed at each other, Jaydon swaying on his feet.

“How could…” Jay didn’t know how accusing the feral alpha while he was still holding the helpless omega would truly end. Jay visibly bit back bile as he stumbled into the ruined flat. “Again?” Jay’s voice was defeated, he nearly fell to his knees while he fisted his red curls. Jay mumbled to himself for a few seconds before finally braving a look at Quin.

“Is he…” Jay choked before he could gather his question. 

“Alive,” Jovan was almost proud of the semi-resemblance of speech he managed. Neither of the two had to question what had happened to the omega, the blood on his face told them. 

Jovan was fixated on getting these omegas out of this complex. This world was full of monsters for these guys- and Jovan wasn’t above becoming one to scare the others away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~  
> Hopefully I did not disappoint. 
> 
> All comments are appreciated and you will forever be loved for it!  
> We don't have to go insane alone
> 
> (yes, I spell grey with an "e." it's the english way of spelling verses the american way "gray". honestly- purely for cosmetic reasons. I just really like how the word grey looks.)<\- fuel by debate with sister


	14. Jovan : 7 : "Pain"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing this earlier in the day- didn't really realize how long it had become. 'Hopefully it doesn't drag too much.
> 
> again, written and posted on the same day- so there are probably a sea of problems with this. I'll try to catch what I can.

Jovan refused to set Quin down. He had the thin frame braced against his chest by his forearms and the back of his wrists. He couldn’t seem to reign in his clawed hands despite his efforts. Quin was already marred, Jovan was desperate to not add to it. Jaydon was pacing circles, gathering up the broken pieces that laid askew over the floor.

“I can’t let you guys stay here.” Jovan had more control over his voice, his eyes were still on the kitten in his lap.

“Where else would we go? You forget, Alpha, we are the rats of this city.” Jay was trying to sweep bits of broken plates into a contained pile- his hands already had cuts from the task.

“Come with me,” Jovan’s glowing eyes sent chills over the omega’s nerves. Jay had every excuse to not do such a thing. Except that those same excuses could be used as reason why he shouldn’t stay.

An alpha could waltz in here and do this very thing whenever he wanted. Jay knew who had done this, the fairly squat alpha had done this many times. Not quite this bad though, he had never carved into the walls before- he owned the building. Why would he want to break something that was his?

Jovan had returned, which means another attack was looming. 

“You three would easily fit on my bed,” the alpha’s voice purred with promise, “I have no problem with sleeping in the spare room.” Spare room? Jay almost snorted, what kind of place did this idiot have that he would have a spare room in the city?

“Leave the mess, why don’t you pack bags for everyone?” Jovan shifted his hold on Quin, his talons finally withdrawn, “I can see if I can find that book for Kitten.” the pet name slipped from his lips before he could catch what he had said. Jaydon didn’t say anything of it, but the alpha could feel the heat of embarrassment tingling his neck.

Quin woke in a panic. No one could really blame him- but the other two nearly materialized at his side. Jovan scooped the omega off of the futon before either of the omegas could react. Quin’s eyes were still uneven from the ordeal, his head lolled slightly until it found support against the alpha’s chest. That protective rumble the alpha hadn’t even consciously started was like a soothing purr in the little one’s ear.

“Hey,” Jaydon cooed, his touch ghosting over the chilled limbs of his friend. Quin was trying to talk. The anxiety had all communications arrested- the harder he tried the worse it got. He was clearly growing confused and frustrated with himself. 

Jaydon’s words were steady and calm as he tried to coax the little one off of his mental ledge. Jovan almost felt useless as the kitten clawed at Jay’s clothes, his voice sputtering only more desperately.

“Gene,” he managed after a labored attempt. 

“He’s at work,” Jay quickly supplied, “He’ll be coming home later on.” The little one only shook his head harder- the name becoming a cracked mantra. 

“I can go pick him up early.” Jovan offered, his eyes studying his surroundings. “You won’t be left here alone though- let me bring the two of you to my place.”

“Being alone there is safer?” Jay almost spat, he had packed the bags he was told to. He didn’t really know if he was agreeing to go with- or if it was some omega reflex to just behave. 

“There’s a security guard, it’s in the better side of town, and no one would dare go into an alpha’s den regardless if there’s omegas there or not.” Jovan had long ago convinced himself of this plan. It was sparked from the instinct to protect and has only grown as he found himself attached to the trio. 

Even daddy thought he smelt like a harem. 

Jovan stood with his mind made up, he urged Jay to find Quin some decent clothes since they were going outside. Jay’s first retaliation was that they couldn’t expect Quin to walk all the way across town. 

“The parking garage is across the street.” Jovan nodded towards an unassuming wall that happened to be the direction to his metallic baby. “I can go get my car and pick you two up at the door.”

If the purr of the engine didn’t turn the heads of every nearby alpha, the two omegas crawling into the said car did. Jaydon had to squeezed into the minimally existing back seat of the two door mustang. Jovan was currently reverently buckling Quin into the front seat. The alpha had to focus to keep himself from shifting as he closed the passenger door: he let his gaze slide over the glowing irises of the residential alphas wondering which one was the bastard. He couldn’t help the pride that was swirling in his chest from chauffeuring the two infront of so many rivals. He didn’t care that it was a selfish feeling, one that got many alphas killed. 

Jovan parked underground, figuring it would be a safer route to sneak his two refugees in. He could talk to security later on- once he learned of where Gene worked. Quin tried to be stubborn, he tried to stand on his own. Jaydon nearly fell out of the car as he tried to catch the drunken omega. Jovan barley rounded the car in time. 

“Gene!” Quin thrashed wildly. Jovan was bewildered on how to settle the set mind. 

“Alpha’s going to go get him.” Jaydon gripped either side of Quin’s face, Jay tried to keep a steady eye contact with the smaller man. He wasn’t having any of it. Something was very wrong with Kitten. 

Eugene couldn’t feel his wrists any more. It was more of an annoyance than anything. He had suddenly become the hottest commonedy and he had a booking with a fucking wait list. A literal wait list for fucking! He should have been somewhat happy- that means he’s making good money tonight. Maybe with a dash of magic, he would have enough to cover the demands of that fuckwad Finn. He was sent home early last night- that really fucked him over. A thousand dollars sounded like a pipe dream. 

Gene really didn’t have time to recover from his last ‘client.’ Four lanky alphas that looked as if they were about to go into a rut stumbled over each other. Gene didn’t even take time to notice any further details, with any luck he would never see these bastards again. The group was giggling amongst themselves as they began to wander around the artificially lavish room.

“Who could go wrong with an omega slut named Pain?” one behind Gene sounded a touch too thrilled over the idea. The three others soon began to bounce ideas off of each other as if Gene wasn’t even in the room. Gene couldn’t ‘present’ in this position. His hands were high over his head, his knees barely reached the ground as he was forced to arch his back. He kept his head down as if he wasn’t even conscious. The alphas would let him know when they were ready. 

Jovan pulled into the side parking of the nightclub. He seemed to have gained the attention of a couple omegas who were sitting on the balcony. One flashed her boobs while the male crooned his voice for Jovan to “come play.” Jovan knew what Eugene did to make a living- but it still made his blood boil in the worst way. 

The bouncer didn’t do much in the way of his job. Jovan shouldered through the doorway with little more eye contact than one would in the shopping mall. The scent of rutting alphas instantly assaulted his nose. His eyes were on the verge of tearing as he tried to maneuver through the compacted cluster of bodies. Finally he found the edge of the bar, his face caught in a seemingly permanent scowl as he sat down between very scantily clad omegas. 

“What’s wrong big guy?” one smiled artificially, his legs in the splits as he sat backwards on the chair.

“I’m looking for someone called ‘Pain’.” Jovan almost thought the other two didn’t hear him, but the looks he was given screamed otherwise. 

“He’s a popular fuck tonight.” the omega on his left whined, “You’d get better- faster service with us.” 

“Think you could handle two of us?” the smirking one on his right echoed. 

“Look- it’s not that.” Jovan almost snarled, he had to remember where he was, what these omegas did to make a living. 

“Think you fell in love?” the one on his left banterd.

“Pain doesn’t swing that way, big boy.” right

“Hell, you think he’s good. You should see him when he gets a hold of another omega.” left. 

The alpha did snarl this time. His fisted his clawed hand to keep himself from grooving into the wooden bartop. Whatever they were conjuring stopped in the middle of their spell. The two suddenly were deathly silent, afraid to even breathe. Jovan contained himself. He didn’t want to be just another testosterone fueled dick for them to fear. 

“I know Gene outside of… of … this.” Jovan spat as he tried to not turn feral from the sight of the bartender getting felt up by the other end of the isle. 

The two were silent when they got up- escaping from the aggressive scent that Jovan was letting off. He couldn’t help it. He just wanted to grab Gene and get out as soon as possible. 

With a stage-name like ‘Pain’ and the hairstyle of an angsty emo reject: he should have expected the types of things alphas would think they could get away with. Most of the time they did get away with it- he was nothing more than a whore to begin with. He hoped the four wouldn’t take much more than an hour- so far it felt like two. Bruises were darkening on his skin from their untalented beatings. One of the twinks was absolutely fascinated with pulling fistfuls of Gene’s hair, causing the omega to arch unnaturally. 

Gene could normally handle a lot. This time- his sanity was on a thin thread. If they had only fucked him or had Gene suck them off, you know, normal shit, the omega would have been fine. But the beatings were getting to him. They were too reminiscent of the ‘training’ he had endured to get into this kind of work. The house wanted obedient omegas, the only reason Gene was allowed to keep his attitude was because he looked like he fit a niche fantasy. 

The fetish these fuckwads seem to have. 

Jovan found a bouncer that wasn’t an omega begging for business. The spiral horns of this alpha curved his face in almost a heart- but his deadened eyes nearly caused another snarl to rise in Jovan’s chest.

“You have one in mind?” his voice was dry. 

“One called Pain. I just need to talk to him.” Jovan felt that he needed to say more- clarify more. 

“He has four more groups ahead of you.” the alpha spoke flatly as he read the small screen in his palm.

“Groups?” Jovan choked. He earned a nod and the question if he wanted to put his name on the waiting list. 

What the actual fuck?

They were finally done. The group still bantered even in their exhausted state. Gene didn’t pay them any mind. He was silently cursing them as their voices filtered away into the madness that as the club just outside that door. An omegan woman scurried into the room with little more than a bottle of water.

“You okay?” she questioned. Gene only grunted- knowing regardless of how he answered nothing would be done.

“You seem to have five more sessions scheduled.” she reported quietly, the water was heaven on his hoarse throat. He tried to ignore the spike of dread at the news. His fucking waitlist seemed to keep growing. He should be happy for the money- but chances are it still wouldn’t be enough. He’s suffering for a lost cause.

“Why don’t the others try taking a couple of them for me. Feels like I’ve got the whole house’s attention.” the shallow gripe would make no difference, it still felt good to get it off his chest anyway.

“We are trying, Pain, I don’t get it either.”

After almost two hours of uneasy waiting, a very nude omega scurried over to Jovan’s side. He held out a tray of complimentary drinks with a hum. The alpha only waved him away, thanking him anyway. 

“Just letting you know- you are next in line to see Pain. He should be finishing his current client soon.” the omega smiled lewdly at his own pun before bowing, not spilling a drop from the martini glasses he had on the tray. Jovan didn’t know if he should be relieved or nervous. He had tried futilly, multiple times, to convince that this had nothing to do with the omega’s position of work. Jovan was just forced to sit an wait amongst the horny, bastard, filth alphas of the city.

Jovan had called his apartment a half an hour or so ago. He just wanted to make sure the other two were okay. Quin seemed to settle down a little after he learned that Jovan was in the same premise as Gene. Jay assured that they were okay, thanking him for the thousandth time. Jovan was delighted to know that the omegas felt safe in his den. Granted they probably weren’t expecting the suite that Jovan had opened the door to. 

Not even fifteen minutes later, another omega sought out Jovan. The alpha had learned to keep his focus up on the other’s eyes, because the omegas here rarely seemed to wear anything to cover… anything. 

“Master Jovan, I presume?” he smiled fakely. His head bowing quickly as he seemed to study Jovan from under his lashes. “Pain is preparing for you, Master.” Jovan visibly flinched every time he was called ‘Master.’ The alpha kept his mouth shut though- the man was only doing his job. “May I ask if you prefer Pain to be tied up upon your arrival?”

“Preferences?” Jovan snorted, reminding himself for the umpteenth time of where he was. “Untied and clothed.” The alpha sucked a breath as he almost smirked at the shocked expression of the servant’s face. Almost smirked, but the omega’s scent revealed fear. He quickly schooled himself back to that faked smile with a promise at the tip of his tongue. Jovan wanted to grab that thin retreating frame as ask what was wrong, but he was gone in the crowd within seconds.

Jovan was led to a door on the edge of the main room, stupidly close to where he had been sitting this entire time. The one that brought him here didn’t even glance at his face once, fear wafting from her milky skin. 

Eugene was knelt in the middle of the morbidly equipped room. His head was bowed low and his hands folded in his lap. Jovan nearly choked at the scents that were still staining the air, many other alphas with the only omega scent being Gene. Jovan closed the door against the club’s noise. He willed his legs to move carefully in front of the crumpled looking fire breather. He refused to raise his gaze, Jovan was sure that the omega was actually screwing his eyes shut out of a fear. He knelt before his friend, holding himself like he had in front of Quin. Still, the omega didn’t brave a movement.

“Gene.” Jovan whispered carefully. The omega jolted, his sight snapping to the alpha’s face instantly.

“Oh, thank fuck.” he gasped, collapsing face first onto the ruined carpeting below him, his fists clenching his abused locks. 

“What’s going on.” the alpha itched to pull the omega’s hands away from hurting himself, but the omega pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. 

“Why are you here?” his black eyes widened with panic, “Wait, are you here for…” 

“Gene, I’ve been trying to get in here to talk to you. Some alpha has ransacked your apartment. Quintin was attacked. I mean, both Jay and Quin are okay now. They’re actually at my place, and Quin really wants to see you for some reason.” the alpha was rambling, finally having the omega under his eyes- he didn’t really plan this part. 

“Fuck,” Gene returned to his place of being face first on the floor. Stress was wound tight in his muscles, his head felt like it was going to blow up. “I don’t even have that fuck’s money. He’s gonna kill me for sure now.” Jovan didn’t have a chance to speak before Gene raised to his feet, his eyes swollen from tears, his lips were split and red from abuse. Bruises stuck out from under the feeble clothing he was given to wear. His mantra of profanities fell like a stream, a life line. 

“You don’t have to go back to that apartment anymore,” Jovan let himself cage the shaking omega against the wall. Those liquid coal eyes were the most beautiful thing Jovan had the honor of trapping. 

“Finn’s going to be looking for me here.” Gene hissed but for once he didn’t reject the alpha’s presence. 

“Then don’t come back here.” Jovan watched as absolute disbelief overtook the omega’s expression.

“Oh, it must be so easy to just go get another job as an alpha.” the smaller man’s voice spit his venom. Gene’s feeble attempt to escape was caged off my Jovan’s knee.

“Let’s get you out of here alive, then we can deal with the rest of it later.” it was a command in its own right. The rumble was similar in the alpha’s chest, the kind of thrum the omega could feel. 

“If I trust you, Alpha Piss-Ass. I swear to fuck.” Gene was grasping for hope and insults. A strange combination only this little fire breather could muster. “I’m still not part of your god-fuck harem!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for putting up with my random rants~  
> comments are always appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!  
> No need to go insane by ourselves.


	15. Jovan : 8 : Finn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this before work today? Wow, that coffee must be some strong shit'e.
> 
> the logical side of me says I should wait till after work to re-read this over and make any fixes while I have the chance to do so. but the dominate stupid side of me is just gonna put this out here and make any changes later on. You know. after everyone sees how crappy of a write-job I do.

Jovan gave the fiery omega some space, his voice low in a purr of understanding. He may have not had the whole story- but Jovan could see that Gene has had a rough enough night. 

Gene willed his trembling limbs to still, ignoring the pain from the night as he straightened his stance. 

“Let me go get my pay,” he started to walk towards the opposite door of the room, “I’m not about to get stiffed on top of everything.” Jovan nodded, asking if he should wait for Gene out in front of the club. The aggressive mask the omega always wore slipped into something scared, his words were weak as he mumbled for Jovan to stay near. 

The alpha wanted to follow the omega into the back room, but he slipped away into the back halls of this brothel. Multiple omegan eyes were locked to Jovan as he emerged back into the pulsing club. He didn’t really know what to do with himself. Gene was just going to pick up his cash, and come right out. As ten minutes bled by, Jovan was growing more and more antsy. 

Announcements started to boom over the intercom system of the club, the music cut off temporarily as a showing was apparently starting. A buck skin blond alpha with curved ram horns stood center stage with his arms stretch out over the crowd. His filthy words started filling the air with promises and threats weaved together.   
An omega needed to be punished and this was a warning to all the other workers of the brothel. Jovan began to force his way to the front of the crowd, his warning growl even causing nearby alphas to flinch. 

“Pain here, seems to have skimped out on us by giving away his talents. Too busy knotting some stray to work for us.” the alpha fished his pocket for a folded knife, showing it to the divided crowd. 

“If the cheapskate wants our omegas so badly- why don’t we deliver little Pain to him? Should we start with his fingers?” the red eyes of the madman flickered over to the thrashing omega. He had significantly more bruising than he had not fifteen minutes ago. His hands were bound behind his back, a gag cut into the edges of his mouth to block off the undoubtedly profane curses he wanted to spit. Jovan didn’t even think when he sprinted up onto the stage. The alpha burst into a shift as he intercepted the lunging knife. Jovan didn’t even feel the pain as the blood dripped down from his fingers. The knife was embedded through the palm of his hand, which meant it was no longer a threat to his omega.

His omega? 

Jovan didn’t have time to chastise himself as the buck skinned alpha clawed at the much taller Jovan. Granted this runt was short, he was built like a pitbull- muscles bulging unnaturally. Probably from some kind of steroid he’s pumped himself full of. Short, squat, unskilled: the offending fuck crumpled under Jovan’s fist. He snarled out at the pain of his broken nose. Jovan half expected the other alphas to start rioting- join in on the fight. Even the bouncers just stood there as if this was a normal occurrence. 

“You must be ‘Fuckwad Finn’ I heard so much about.” Jovan’s voice was more animal than civil- that’s okay. He really wasn’t in a ‘civil’ mood.   
“Those omegas belong to me, Stray.” he pulled himself up from the floor his eyes wild in fury. 

“They don’t belong to anyone.” Jovan wanted to turn his back on the pitiful excuse for a pack leader. Clearly this guy had some superiority complex. He lashed out blindly yet again, this time Jovan stayed right on top of him as he poked all the holes in the feral alpha’s defence. Even with one hand, Jovan was a clear winner. Maybe it was just because he knew who he was fighting for. 

Quin really wanted to see Gene. Like hell he was going to bring back bits and pieces. Jovan didn’t relent until the fuckwad had submitted. Even then he stood over him as the victor- shaking from the effort to restrain himself from killing the bastard. He must have been the one to attack the apartment. He was going to punish all three of the men because they had helped Jovan. 

He could forgive Eugene’s aggression towards him. Gene knew what would happen. He was just trying to protect his friends.

Jovan ground his teeth, refusing to fall that far into instinct as to kill someone: despite how much they deserved it. He bent to lift Gene off of the stage, leaving him bound and gagged because he knew very well the type of protest this little omega was capable of. He did huff angrily but he was powerless to keep the alpha from princess carrying him out of the club.

He set the omega in the front seat of his metallic baby before he raised his hands in surrender.

“If I untie you, will I be allowed to keep my eyes?” Jovan looked over the shaking omega. Either it be fear or anger- both were dangerous when it came to this explosive man. A growl answered the alpha, those black eyes burned accusingly into the alpha. 

“Truse?” the alpha almost chuckled, keeping his hands in the line of sight of Gene. The growl cut off, those black eyes calculating something.

“I can totally leave you like this until we get back to my place.” Jovan stood straight- his hand rested on the door as if he was about to shut the omega in, still bound and helpless. A whimper ripped from Gene’s throat, a desperate little sound. It felt as if someone just ripped the alpha’s heart in half as he lowered himself back to eye-level with Gene. The gag was first to be released. Shockingly- the omega managed to hold his tongue although Jovan could read every curse that he wanted to spit from his eyes. 

“Nice car for a fuckin’ stray.” Gene snapped when Jovan turned the ignition. A smirk began to creep into place. He was almost worried when Gene took so long to come up with something, after all, Gene did just go through hell in a handbasket.

Gene was stubborn as ever. Jovan could smell the pain radiating from the shaking figure. Regardless of how many times he offered to help him walk. The omega only smacked him away with dull claws. 

Jovan opened the door to his suite, just as he did, Quin flew to Gene. The kitten nearly knocked them both over with a tackling hug. His voice was still broken- but at least happy. 

Gene even chuckled to himself clutching the excited kitten. Quin’s brown eyes lit up when he pulled at Gene’s wrist. He was bouncing as he urged the slow moving omega into the suite. Gene paled at the sight. The suite was beautiful… something far beyond the previous roach house Fin had signed for them. Jaydon was distracted by a glass aquarium on the far wall- what looked like tree limbs and wood chips decorated the container perfectly. The place itself was huge- a full wall window had a beautiful view of the lake that skirted the city. A nest- undoubtedly built by Quin- was in the center of an area rug. All of the cushions of the couch had been pulled off and propped up together forming almost a freaking castle. The kitchen was stainless steel and had a freaking island. Gene looked to the unassuming “stray” and fell to his knees.

“I can’t afford to stay in a place like this.” Eugene shook as he bared his neck. Apologies ready to spill. 

“Don’t even worry about it- only myself and occasionally my parents come here. It would be nice to have the company.” Jovan offered a hand, allowing the omega to know it really was okay. 

Quin bounced on the balls of his feet until the dark haired alpha turned his attention to him. Jovan smiled as he lowered himself about to say something. Whatever that thing was left his mind as soon as Quin’s kiss locked to his lips. Gene stared wide eyed. Jovan felt panic pulse him, unsure what to do with his hands as Kitten wrapped his arms around the alpha’s neck. The kitten was purring long before he released the stolen kiss, quickly nuzzling into his alpha’s scent. Jovan only stood with his arms tensed at his sides. He looked between the shocked omegas- again looking for some sense of guidance. Eugene only burned his glare accusingly into tangled couple. 

Jovan’s mind was completely blank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for putting up with my rambles!  
> All comments are highly appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!  
> No need to go insane by ourselves after all.


	16. Jovan : 9 : Good Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm up early again. I don't know what's going on with me.

The omegas were exhausted from their day. Gene slipped into the bathroom to take a shower. Jay soon followed him into the steaming room. Jovan didn’t think much of it- omegas had odd tendencies. Jovan instead found himself sat behind Quin, his focus on getting the last bits of adhesive out of the kitten’s long hair. Most of the tape was already worked out- but the alpha was determined to not need to cut the final stubborn clumps free.

Quin was half asleep by the time to other two emerged from the shower. Jovan had found enough of the cushions in the fort to have some resemblance of a place to sit, Quin was curled up in his nest. Jaydon tried to pry the little one from the pile- Quin only groaned. When the offending redhead didn’t back off the kitten actually started swatting blindly with whatever his thin arms would wedge free. 

“Just let ‘em.” Gene leaned against the corner of the hall. His hair was deflated from being waterlogged- lending him to the sight of a drowned skunk.

“You should be getting to bed,” Jovan didn’t really speak to anyone in particular, half of it was aimed at himself. His phone was still in his hand from him texting his father. 

“I won’t be going into work tomorrow- so whatever happens.” The alpha stretched as he stood, he could feel all of the eyes on him as he glided around the room. Just checking that the security alarm was on, his babies were fed- a couple leopard geckos in the tank- and ensuring the omega’s knew where the spare blankets were… well… Use to be- Quin already gotten into them.

“Why are you being difficult?” Jay growled sleepily. Quin only hid deeper into the pile. 

“It’s whatever.” Gene relented, watching the larger form of the alpha disappear into the spare room. Once he was sure the alpha was gone for the night he reached out for Jay’s arm- “Come on, he can do whatever he wants.” 

“This apartment is unreal.” Jay mumbled as he flopped onto the king sized bed. The room wasn’t exactly the cleanest in the world- but for a bachelor alpha, it was pretty impressive. 

“Yeah, you okay?” Gene breathed, searching Jay’s face for something. Jaydon found himself almost chuckling.

“Isn’t that my line?” Jay let himself study the stalking omega, the bruises that littered him made him look more rabid than usual. 

“I always tried to not need an alpha, yet here we are.” Gene growled, finally sitting on the side of the bed, “I can’t even be a good whore apparently.” 

“Babe,” Jay found himself crawling closer his side, “You know I hate when you call yourself that.” 

“What else should I be called then?” Gene almost raised his voice- then he remembered the alpha that was just on the other side of that wall. 

A smirk graced those freckled cheeks, “You know what I heard Jovan call you?” Gene’s eyes narrowed on the trouble maker’s expression.

“Fire breather.” Jay teased, “It’s like I’ve caught myself a freaking dragon.” Gene had to smile at that, but before he could give Jay the satisfaction of almost winning- he leaned closer to the ear that was hidden behind curls.

“Damn right, now worship me, Bitch.” Gene’s voice cracked half way through. His eyes gleamed playfully even after Jay shoved him away. 

“I thought for sure you would hate me for dragging him into our little hole.” Jay sighed as he watched those dark eyes soften. 

“Why did you?” the question was long overdue- but so much was going on, this was the first time they had the chance to just talk. 

“Same reason you brought home Quin. He was going to die if he stayed out there.” Jay shrugged, “It was really weird, I was just inches from him, but he still stood there just watching me.” 

“Were you being chased again?” Gene fought the growl the wanted to bubble up. Jay only snorted, he was always having that issue. More so now that he smelt like a brewery when he got off of work. 

“I should totally pick you up from your shifts, now that I seem to be out of a job.” Gene found his fingers tangled in those red locks. 

“You might be a dragon- but even you have weaknesses.” Jay leaned into the touch, earning a wounded whine from his words.

“Like what?” Gene suddenly challenged. He was almost frightened by the sudden look of trouble that washed over his omega’s face. 

“Like right here.” Jay spoke to the air- not even moving. Every nerve in Gene was on high alert as he glanced around in question. He did not trust Jay at the moment. Turns out for good reason- Jay nearly pounced Gene onto the bed. His emerald eyes held love but his expression held trouble. Gene started to snap that this didn’t count. Jay bit into that scent gland at the base of Gene’s throat. His vision went white as electricity overtook his senses. A moan escaped without his consent. Jay only took the opportunity to settle himself over the very distracted omega. 

“I have a fuckin’ nicname for you.” Gene growled, finding his arms held down at his sides.

“Fuckin’ Brat” he growled, his face already flushed. Jay only giggled, he let his lips drift tantalizingly over Gene’s. The firebreather was nearly going cross eyed from the want to kiss.

“I may have heard that one once or twice.” that smile only grew. Gene struggled half heartedly- his own eyes were blown from the closeness of Jay. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Jay mumbled as he continued to assault the neck below his lips. Gene couldn’t really form a complete thought, sure. He had as many alpha’s as one could ever dream. None of them would ever compare to Jaydon: his omega. 

He was scared when Jovan had refused him. Gene’s thoughts quickly turned dark as he feared for Jay’s safety. If Gene couldn’t keep the alpha’s attention on himself- what would happen to the other two? Looks like Gene was too focused on the wrong threat. A happy little purr vibrated above him, bringing Gene back from his thoughts.

“Love you.” Gene whispered. 

“Love you, too.” Jay nuzzled, finally releasing Gene from his capture. Gene immediately pulled Jay’s face closer for that kiss he was so desperate for.

Jovan nearly shot to his feet when he heard the strangled cry from the other room. He sat rigidly as he strained his hearing to focus.

“Fuckin’ Brat” that was Gene’s voice. The alpha tried to force himself to settle down. The omegas must be omega-ing for the lack of better terms. With the stress they were facing nothing would really shock him at this point. The alpha fell back with a hiss in his throat- knocking the hell out of one of his horns on the headboard. He growled again, his hand checking the point as he eyed the new groove in the dark wood. 

These things were more trouble than they were worth. 

He didn’t even notice the bedroom door click open. The kitten was groping along the wall from the darkness, Jovan could see his blind eyes wide with the effort to see. 

“You okay?” The alpha’s deep voice startled Quin back into the hallway. Part of him hoped the alpha was asleep by now, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Quin, you okay?” Jovan stood up this time, following the omega into the hall. Quin still stared blindly towards the alpha’s voice. The darkness too thick for his smaller senses. Quin started to try to talk. He silenced soon after when he realized his nerves were up far too high for this to work.

“Were you trying to find the bathroom?” Jovan softened his voice, his larger hand ghosting over Quin’s cold fingers. The omega shook his head ‘no.’ With a confidence he didn’t know he had, Quin grasped the alpha’s wrist. The kitten wrapped himself around Jovan’s neck yet again, tucking himself into the alpha’s scent. Jovan hummed softly, his hold wrapping around the tiny figure.

“Are you scared?” Jovan questioned, he didn’t fully understand why this kitten seemed to fall for him so easily. He had a bad history with alphas. One would think Quin would be as distant as possible. Maybe unlike Eugene, Quin just wanted to follow his instincts. Maybe Quintin just wanted to be some a sheltered, obedient omega. Quin didn’t answer, he only grasped tighter. 

“Do you want to come lay down with me?” Jovan tried to look over the omega’s face, but the little one’s hold was tightening with the effort. He nodded against Jovan’s neck, a sad whimper ripped from his broken throat. 

“Okay.” Jovan hushed, he could do that. Quin had just gone through a bout of abandonment by himself- Jovan could do this much for him.

Jovan was woken too early in the morning by determined knocking on his front door. The alpha let out a frustrated growl as he had to untangle his arm from under the snoozing kitten to reach his phone.

8:28 blinked at him blindingly. Ignoring the wake up call from the other room, he found one of his hands mindlessly scratching the scalp of the snuggling kitten. Three missed text messages from his father.

“Are you up?”  
“Coming over.”  
“Here- get your ‘not a harem’ decent.”

Another frustrated growl rumbled the alpha’s chest. Fine- if that nosey, smart-alec wanted to see the new roommates- Jovan would appease the elders. 

“I gotta get up, Quin.” Jovan warned as he was revving up his own motivation to do the said thing. The kitten purred in an attempt to keep his alpha with him- but Jovan managed to extract himself. He clumsily knocked on the master bedroom’s door as a warning before he continued his sleepy lumbering to the main door.

The greying alpha smiled broadly at the sight of his son’s scowl. 

“Good morning, sunshine.” the elder nodded innocently. Jovan held the entrance for his father, grumbling that there wasn’t any coffee made yet. Quin had followed Jovan out- his sleeping wear being little more than an over-sized shirt. The father regarded him with a knowing smirk as Quin reached for Jovan’s sleeve.

“Alpha?” he whimpered, his eyes searching Jovan’s face. The younger alpha was turning red, his sight burning into his father. When dad’s smirk turned into a full blown chuckle. Jovan spun to follow his sight to the hallway.

Eugene was walking to the bathroom- full blown naked. Jay was stumbling from the master bedroom in little more than a pair of boxers. The unmistakable scent of sex following them.

“Shut. Up.” Jovan snapped, his face as red as a beet.

“I didn’t even-” the father looked artificially hurt, the facade falling into a giggle.

“You fucking breathed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo.  
> this may or may not be the last chapter of this story line. If I go any further- it's not going to stop.  
> With that said, I'll be taking two days off of writing. If there are any objections on ending this here- shoot me a comment. Otherwise I shall return Wednesday the 15th. 
> 
> Be sure to let me know! all comments are appreciated and you will be forever loved for it!


	17. Jovan : 10 : Kitten *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my ninja friends!
> 
>  
> 
> I was going to post this yesterday. But it's a long story that contains spoilers- so I'll get into it at the end.
> 
> Something has been brought to my attention, just a note. None of my characters thus far are underage. Just sayin'.

The salt and pepper alpha lead himself to sit at the kitchen table, his knowing eyes flitting over the active apartment. Jay found himself staring blank faced at a computerized -why the hell are there so many buttons- coffee maker… Why would someone force themselves to do a complex puzzle first thing in the morning? Jovan had tried to peel Quin off of his arm, the Kitten’s heartbreaking whine caused the father to raise a low growl in his throat. Quin dropped to his knees.

“Dad!” Jovan snapped, a swift smack across the back of Jovan’s head stunned him into silence. 

“Don’t raise your voice to your father.” Jovan’s mother scolded, fixing the magazine in her hands. 

“But…” Jovan’s mouth snapped shut at the warning glare he was receiving. Didn’t matter how old or right you were- parents always win. 

“He’s the one that made him distressed.” the father explained quickly when that mother’s glare slide over to him. Jovan was just trying to convince the little one to go find some decent clothes- a lot of which was ruined by that raging hormone of an alpha. 

Jay emerged victorious with a mug of hot coffee. He nodded to the two new faces before settling in the corner of the semi-rebuilt couch: half of Quin’s nest still mangled on the floor. Gene wandered into the living room still very and completely naked. Jovan could feel the red staining his skin as he stuttered to grasp at an explanation. 

“I’m just getting clothes- my bag’s out here.” Gene frowned as he regarded the two newcomers. 

“You must be Eugene.” Mother questioned, “Is Jovan making you-” her question was left hanging as the omega turned towards her and bowed formally. 

“It’s good to meet you, Misses.” Gene glanced over to the older alpha, “Dont’ even give me that took- you aren’t the first to meet me while I’m in the buff.” Father narrowed his eyes as the tone in Gene’s voice. Gene turned away, finding that Jay had his bag hostage on his lap: the ransom being a kiss.

Quin returned to Jovan’s side, dressed in a terrible miss-match of clothes. He was in one of Jovan’s shirts that nearly went down to his knees, and a pair of Jaydon’s shorts- still insanely over sized. 

“So how’s the ‘not a harem’ life?” the father teased with a smile. Jovan let out a defeated sigh, letting his hand run over Quin’s thin shoulder as the omega regarded everyone with worried eyes.

“I thought for sure we raised you to treat omegas better.” his mom looked pointedly at Quin. Jovan swallowed the growl that wanted to bubble up.

“Quintin has a hard time talking.” he tried to keep his voice soft, it was more of an effort than he expected it to be. “He’s really sweet and bubbly, just… skittish.” 

Mom cooed instantly- trying to tell him that he was allowed to speak here. If nothing else Gene should be proof of that. Quin only shook his head, thin fingers fiddling with the high collar of the shirt. He took a stuttering breath as he pulled at it to reveal the jagged scar across his neck. 

Mother paled, Father growled. The older alpha’s eyes were threatening to turn a shade of red as he forced himself away from the table- away from the shaking omega.  
Eugene quickened his pace to the open room when he heard the snarling. He scanned the room- finding Jay unharmed where he had left him. Quin was under the protective arm of Jovan as the mother was rounding the table. The other, still growling, alpha was clearly focusing on not shifting as he darted through the front door. 

He was kind enough to leave when he saw he was causing distress. Perhaps this idiot Alpha did have some semblance of manners. Gene hurried over to Quin’s side, he took hold of those thin fingers and tried to hold his gaze. 

Clearly Quin would much rather hide against the side of his alpha. Eugene couldn’t help but study the prospective mate. Jovan had better not hurt Quin. Jay and himself had worked with him for too long for some random alpha on the street to undo everything. He still had that insatiable craving to build nests, but at least he’s able to walk around without direct permission now. 

It had been a long, hard year. 

After everyone had calmed down, and Jovan had his much needed dose of caffeine, Mother was bantering back and forth with Eugene. The two plotting what would undoubtedly be trouble for all alpha’s involved. Once the father had more than his fill of ‘omega talk’ he walked over to the living room.

“You always this antisocial?” He questioned with sight on the lizard tank. 

“I have to be social as my job. I’m not doing it in my free time too.” Jay bantered back- reflexively checking the time. Three hours till work. 

“Job?” the alpha tilted his head, he never met an omega that managed to have a job before.

“Yeah- I’m a bartender down at RowlKin.” Jay smiled, then groaned, “Crap- Greasy Weirdo will be working today.”

“Greasy Weirdo?” Father resorted to sitting on the opposite side of the couch, this little one was fascinating. 

“This super creepy cook- I never did get his real name. He’s totally going to try to trap me in the alleyway again.” the omega was rambling quickly from the burst of coffee in his system. The Father had a strange look on his face- one that reminded Jay of when he first saw Jovan. 

“When do you get off?” the father had a plot behind his eyes.

“Depends on the night- normally around midnight or so.” Jay arched a brow, “Do you want to come visit or something?”

“Not me- I’d kill someone.” the alpha chuckled darkly, “I’ll make Jovan over there your chauffeur. Hell, he’s got the car for it.”

“Does Gene work too?” the father nodded towards the abrasive omega- who was now perfectly pleasant as he was left to talk with another omega.

“He… did.” Jay clammed up. Gene wasn’t proud of what he did- but it was the only thing he could have done.

“We’ve been having a hard time keeping our place staffed- do you think he would want to try it out?” before Jay could really grasp what was said the elder raised his voice, pointing to the bicolored mop of trouble.

“What do you think if we put Gene on records?”

“S’ Long as he doesn’t take phone calls.” Jovan shrugged. “He’s actually super well behaved today.”

“Excuse me!?” Gene’s voice cracked, Mother patted the back of his hand to calm him down from the rant he was about to start.

“Just let alphas think they’re right, that’s how you ultimately control them.” she winked playfully: fully ignoring the questioning scowl from her husband.

Jaydon was almost late leaving for work from talking with Jovan’s dad. It’s gotten to the point that Eugene would be going to the office to formally apply that night, and if the workers at the bar didn’t start respecting Jaydon- he would be joining the work at the shipping corner. 

Jovan liked the two, but he wasn’t too sure on having the duo trouble working in the same building. 

Quin was yet again left alone with his alpha. He hadn’t really left Jovan’s side all day, but he seemed to have disappeared as soon as everyone had left. To which the alpha had contributed nerves from his parents coming over. Not to mention Kitten was in new surroundings. Jovan was just glad that he could offer some sense of security.

Quin had built a nest on the spare bed. 

The dark haired alpha had gone searching for the oddly scarce omega with the intention to ask him about food. Now he was standing in the doorway looking over the mound of everything . Jaydon had warned and apologized ahead of time of Quin’s habits, but this was… different… Excessive? 

“Kitten?” Jovan questioned the mound, not really knowing where in the mess he was hiding. A groan answered. Jovan called again, this time trying to lift edges of the pile to see if he could find the source of this chaos. 

Without breaking the nest- of course. Quintin would probably go feral if one thing fell off. 

Quin’s almond brown eyes were blown- his face over taken by a rosy blush. Jovan’s blood ran cold at the heated gaze the little omega was giving him. 

“Quin?” he slowly moved towards the fevered omega. “Is this…” Jovan didn’t want to finish the sentence. If this was Quin’s heat… Quin let out a high pitched whine that left the alpha desperate to ease his suffering. Jovan brushed his thumbs along those soft lips just inches from his face.

“You aren’t thinking straight, little Kitten.” the alpha’s warning fell on deaf ears. Quin tried to crawl forward to close the insufferable distance. 

“You must have been in pre-heat. Is that why you were so close to me?” Jovan carefully sat the omega on the edge of his nest. “I really don’t want to scare you, Quintin.” Jovan never really took into account how tiny Quin actually was. If Quin were to stand up straight- he still wouldn’t reach Jovan’s breastbone. Maybe the alpha was just tall? The other two were easily a head shorter than the said man.

Quin let out another needy whine, his thin arms wrapping around Jovan’s neck. Jovan barely had the control to chastise himself over how nice the kitten’s scent was. How enticing that whine and aroma of slick was. Jovan stood in the attempt to escape- Quin only held tighter. Jovan ended up with arms full of eager omega. 

He couldn’t just leave the little one like this… could he? What would his father say if he found out an omega under his roof went uncared for?

Sure. Blame Dad. 

Jovan dropped his nose into the curve of his neck and indulged. Alpha let his teeth nibble along the thin line of muscle along Quin’s neck, inching painfully slowly towards his scent gland. Unintelligible gibberish poured from Quin’s trembling lips. Jovan lifted his head instantly, looking over the flushed face just inches from his nose.

“Are you okay?” Jovan hushed the whine that creeped up on the omega. Quin looked frustrated- his speech paralyzed to little more than desperate, broken sighs. Quin wouldn’t be able to communicate anything he needs during this… How has he handled heats before? 

Jovan laid the little one in the center of his nest. After a moment of calculation- the bulky alpha resorted to crushing half of the nesting to keep the closeness he felt the little Kitten needed. Jovan had Quin all but pinned down. His voice cooing soft and slow in an attempt to ease the panic growing in Quin. 

“Hows this,” Jovan thought aloud- his large hand guiding the fragile fingers to his own dark hair just behind his horns. “If you need me to stop, or if you don’t want something, just pull my hair.” Quin’s eyes widened with fear as he gazed up at the alpha. 

“Go on. Try it.” Jovan urged, Quin visibly braced himself as he tugged weakly at the locks. 

“You won’t hurt me, Kitten.” Jovan promised, that low growling purr started in his chest. One he couldn’t fully control- but it always seemed to emerge during the best of timings. When Quin seemed to settle under the warmth of his alpha, Jovan carefully tilted the little one’s chin so that he could look Quin in the eyes.

“May I help you with your heat?” Jovan purred, the alpha’s head was already spinning from the scent of this beautiful omega. He was sure the waves of need were starting to become unbearable. Little one nodded in earnest. He shifted his thin arms to latch to the large man, his body wreathing of its own accord to the closeness. 

Jovan’s voice purred darkly as he hushed the littlest one. He didn’t even pretend to ignore the instincts that were clawing under his skin. His nerves were bare sizzling wires everywhere the kitten fumbled his touch. Jovan let his mouth latch to that sensitive bundle of nerves at the crook of Quin’s throat. He was rewarded by a strangled moan, the little omega’s body washed over with goosebumps. Quin had gone pliant under the ministration. He barely even noticed when the alpha was clumsily undoing the shirt’s buttons- one by one. 

The little one’s skin was raw from the rough formal fabric. Jovan found himself lapping over the strained flesh apologetically, the alpha’s eyes edged with that glowing red. Quin groaned- his muscles straining as another wave wracked his senses. The need was suffocating. A force that even a firebreather would be dropped to his knees by. Jovan slid the oversized shorts off of the pliant form. Needy whimpers filled the air as Jovan kissed the bloodshot flesh of little one’s thighs. 

“Your skin’s so sensitive,” Jovan whispered into a thigh, “You really can’t handle wearing clothing can you?” Quin didn’t answer, his eyes were screwed shut with shame as he desperately palmed at his own erection. Alpha cooed darkly as he nosed gently against the strained tissue. The alpha’s hot breath alone was enough to arch the omega from the bed. 

Jovan settled himself between the omega’s legs, his head still kissing from the little one’s belly, trailing lower. He shuddered at the scent rising from this innocent Kitten, the unrestrained need. Jovan let his fingertips search out the source of the need. Quin’s little pucker was clenched from shame- his face was blushed deeply. 

“We don’t have to go that far.” Jovan’s words were thick with lust- he didn’t know if Quin or his own instincts were more shocked by that statement. 

“I can just take care of you,” Jovan purred through a kiss on that fluttering vein of Quin’s hardness. “I can take care of you until you see stars.” Quin shuddered, his fingers grasping for anything to anchor him to the ground. He was high off of hormones and this alpha’s promises. He felt as if his heart wanted to pound out of his chest. The rampant organ bouncing wildly within his ribs. He didn’t know what he wanted, he couldn’t fully grasp what was happening around him. Heat had it’s claws deep in the core of desperate omega, stripping him of all thought. 

Jovan let his mouth dance hungrily across the hot skin. His calloused palms ran the length of the taunt body beneath him as he wrung out the smallest sounds this omega could muster. His own need strained against his pants, begging to be tended to.

If it meant protecting this Kitten, Jovan would endure his own torment for an eternity. He was hypnotized by the littlest one. Quin mewled through pants, his skin flushed rosy from lust. His hands grasped for the alpha’s trying to ease himself back to earth.

Trying to convince himself he wasn’t under that monster anymore. 

The attentions from his alpha was god like, but he selfishly wanted more. His body craved more despite any reserves the little one would normally hold. How to ask? How could he convince the alpha he needed something he wasn’t even sure he could handle? His fingers danced along the bobbing horns of his alpha- earning a love filled growl.

Jovan seemed to feel the tension rise in the omega’s body. Those haunting eyes flickered to Quin’s face in question. The larger man nuzzled and kissed into the lingering tiny palms as he moved up, caging the little one under his chest.

“Alpha.” Quin focused on speaking- only the one word managed to escape. He dissolved to ramblings, but was silenced by a heavy kiss. He stretched his reach- clawing at the belt in his alpha’s jeans. Jovan let out a hiss, his eyes had flickered to completely feral at the sensation. He quickly reigned in his impulses- that glow still present. 

“I might hurt you.” He warned, “You’re so tiny…” Jovan shivered at the wanton mewl that begged him. The smallest omega in the world seemed to have this beast wrapped around his finger. Alpha lowered himself- sinking his teeth into the rosy shoulder. It was growing nearly impossible to resist claiming him- marking him for the world to see. 

Jovan let his fingertips explore the dip of the tiny one’s hips. The omega’s hardness still straining for friction. The dark haired alpha let his teeth nibble along the opposite shoulder as he massaged small circles along the nervous pucker. 

“I’ll do everything I can to not hurt you.” Jovan promised- letting those trembling arms wrap around his shoulders. Quin had an internal mantra as he tried to ground himself in Jovan’s scent. 

“I’ve got you.” Jovan growled lowly- his fingertip breaching that ring of muscle. Quin wanted to scream in relief. Only a fingertip: but Jovan’s hands were so much bigger than his own. Jovan’s warmth was so much more protective than the most elaborate nest. Just one finger is all it took to push Quin over the edge. His voice had gone hoarse to nearly silent as he was seized up in the moment. Electricity pulsed his veins, his hands holding a death grip on his alpha’s shoulders. Jovan’s grip tightened slightly as he palmed Quin through his tremors. Kitten had fallen limp, his arms sliding off of his alpha with a soft plop at his sides. Jovan continued to kiss praises into the heaving chest beneath him- the little one’s eyes uneven and blown sightless. 

Jovan hushed the panic laced whimpers that was bubbling up. He was in the process of cleaning up his little omega when the front door had opened. The undeniable sound of Eugene began to call into the apartment. Jovan almost smirked with pride when Gene found the scent of heat and sex. 

“It’s okay, little Kitten.” Jovan tucked the blond against his chest, cupping his omega in his lap. “I’ve got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I took hold of a couple scenes that were originally going to be fully cut out and made them fit. Honestly I was worried that this was growing a bit too long for the way I want these series to run. I am honored to think that you guys actually read this and kind'a look forward to the postings~  
> I know I love when I get to interact with my ninja army. Ask and you shall receive.
> 
> Yes. I was going to publish this last night. But I was working on a character design line up thing that I was going to publish along with it. Just a doodle of the four dorks standing next to each other and crap. Four hours into the drawing my program decided to close and lost all the progress I had made with the line work. Me being the stubborn mule that I am, I made it a mission to redraw the entire thing in time to post. 
> 
> In the rush I kind'a ruined the drawing... So, I thought "fuck it." and literally I made the sex scene between Jovan and Quin that I had cut out of the story (twice) freaking fit. because I wanted to add something special damn it.
> 
> So... here's the "finished" thing that I can't bare to look too long at. Let's pray I don't get flustered next time, I swear I normally draw at a better quality.  
> https://www.patreon.com/posts/jovan-20785860
> 
> Final word count: 18,006


	18. Donato : 1 : Taken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to start this one out with a solid "I'm sorry." If you aren't the hugest fan of dark themes this storyline may not be for you. 
> 
> My goal this round is to actually practice using language dynamics and language barriers as a part of the story. So if you can not speak Mandarin or Italian don't even worry. The main character can't either.
> 
> so. for the first two and a half-ish chapters this will be a fest of 'wump.' Again if this isn't to your taste I won't even be mad if you sit this one out. I'll be sure to put a comment of "It's over soon" in the starting notes when it's starting to look up, along with a short rundown of what just happened, should you choose to be curious anyway.
> 
> This is the start of Oliver's story: an omega that is held captive by a couple alphas. Who seem to have little care for the omega at all. Why would they go through the trouble of kidnapping if they weren't going to do anything with him?

It was supposed to be a good day. At this point- he wished it had just been a normal day. That way he knew this was a nightmare and ultimately this would end. No, of course not. He had to be stupid, he had to throw a fit and scream at the only person in the world he would die for. His last words to his sister was “Fuck you.” 

Now there’s a real chance he wouldn’t see her again. There’s a real chance that if he was sent back home- it would be in a body bag. Oliver didn’t know where he was or where he was going. This didn’t even feel fully real yet: like he was someone else watching over some stranger’s shoulder. He wished he could turn away or close the book. 

“Sucks to be you.” he would say, then move on with his life. Because that’s about all the power a spectator has. 

“Nǐ juédé tā xǐngle ma?” one voice questioned barely over the radio. A muffled grunt answered. The voice was dark despite the words almost sounding like bird’s songs. 

“Dào mùqián wéizhǐ nǐ wèishéme ràng wǒmen wèi nǐ de chǒngwù lǚxíng?”

“Nǐ zhēn de xiǎng chéngdān fēngxiǎn ma?”

What language even was that? Olive only spoke english- he never even tried to pick up more than a few passing phrases for friends. These two could literally be plotting anything right in front of him and he would never even know. 

Oliver fruitlessly tried to test the limits of his surroundings. His limbs were barely responsive to his efforts. A pain radiated from the scruff of his neck where the predator had dug his nails. His body still didn’t want to fire up the nerves that had been cut off- but he struggled against the lag time. From what he could see- there really wasn’t much he could break anyway. 

He had to get away- that was the only thought pulsing through his mind. The two reeking alphas were taking him somewhere, far from his hometown, far from his family. His sister May was depending on him! He couldn’t just disappear on her like this! 

Right? 

The car stalled vaguely before turning abruptly. Olive could hear a train station nearby: the conductor reporting arrival times through the loud speaker. People… 

Lots of people were nearby!

Olive’s voice was hoarse from disuse, but he screamed as loudly as his burning lungs would allow him. That scruff still had a hold on is voice. He fought it with tears in his eyes. Just this once, if he could only fight against the dynamic he had been at odds with since god-near birth!

The car stopped around him harshly- slamming him against the wall of his containment. Pain bloomed across his ribs as he was helplessly thrown from one end to another. The bird like words of the alphas growled like demons at him. Not that he needed to understand what they were saying- he figured they were not happy about his attempt.

Oliver had no way of knowing how much time had passed as he laid in the metallic chest. He had regained the use of his body, but quickly found that it was useless against the smooth thick walls that encased him. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, allowing him to barely make out the pale outlines of his hands that were curled up my his face. His knees were folded up near his chest, still his toes were cramped against the perimeter. 

His hearing was straining to catch glimpses of outside life. Nothing but passing conversations between his captors and the white noise of the road. Should he dare try to sleep? There was literally nothing else he could possibly accomplish.

Oliver wasn’t fully aware of when he had dozed off. The sunlight was blinding as lanky shadows loomed over him.

“Qǐchuáng.” one growled. Oliver whimpered instinctively. He tried to protect his sight from the rays, his cheek suddenly bloomed with pain. One of the men had struck him.

“Qǐchuáng.” the voice echoed, even darker this time. What did they want? Oliver let another whine escape as he tried to settle his trembling fear.

“I don’t understand.” he squeaked, his slowly adjusting eyes focusing on the hollow dark orbs that regarded him.

“Nǐ chǔlǐ zhège wúyòng de gǒu shǐ.” the older man turned away, the younger snorted. Oliver felt his wrists being wrenched from their sockets as he was lifted out of the trunk of the car. Gravel bit into his knees as his numb limbs failed to take his weight. That white noise sensation over took his muscles, searing pain into his bones. The alpha that loomed over him seemed to chuckle at Oliver’s struggles. That booted foot came down on his ribs, rolling him onto his back. The alpha seemed to want to gawk at the expression of panic and pain. 

“Nǐ shì yīgè měilì de rén.” the smirk sickened Olive. The rotting breath washed over his face as the alpha lowered himself to teasingly shush the whimpering omega. “Xiàng nǐ zhèyàng de tā mā de wánjù bù yìng gāi fāchū rúcǐ dà de zàoyīn.” That demon’s voice played back and forth as if he had the most amazing thought. A tid bit of wisdom for the omega to behold. Oliver only whimpered louder, baring his neck in surrender as a desperate attempt to just be left alone.

He earned a tense sound from the alpha’s throat, and a strong hand against his vulnerable throat. Oliver tried to cry out- but the hand squeezed. The alpha was enjoying the sputtering of the omega under his crushing presence. 

“Bì zuǐ, fǒuzé wǒ huì fěnsuì nǐ de kělián de hóulóng.” the alpha hissed, his hollow eyes sparkes with amusement. ”Wǒ bùxiǎng zhème kuài jiù shāle nǐ.”

Ice had frozen in Oliver’s veins. He couldn’t wedge a breath under the man’s vice hold. His lungs were burning, begging for relief, as his eyes began to water. 

“Hǎo chǒngwù.” the dark alpha praised, releasing Oliver all at once. Olive’s breath was in gasps as he choked on the air he was so hungry for. White demons danced in his sight as he tried to feed the edges of his awareness with the breath it needed. 

What had he done wrong? What had he done to deserve this? If only he knew what these alphas wanted from him! Their words were foreign to his eager ears, his mind raked over every syllable hoping to find a grain of it familiar. Nothing… 

The alpha gripped oliver by the scruff, not necessarily paralyzing him yet again- but the hold was tight enough to get the intentions across. Oliver stumbled to follow the man’s lead. His still numb legs giving out beneath him as he was brought to the worn out husk of a barn.

Oliver knew he was far away from his little city in England.

The smell nearly caused Oliver to retch. The only haunting sound was the whistle of wind between the missing boards. Blood stained the flooring in irregular, morbid patterns. The alpha pressed the omega into what he first thought was a chicken coop. Perhaps it was a chicken house at one point- the feathers and white droppings still stuck to the floor and walls of the splintering structure. For now, it was the containment of the new comer. Oliver pressed himself as far back as the shallow cage would allow him. His legs folded against his chest once again. 

Oliver listened as the alpha left the barn, the solid lock groaning into place. Then the deafening silence. 

Oliver fought to keep in sobs as he wrapped his mind around the situation. He was alone- at the mercy of monsters. The omega felt his muscles quaking and for the umpteenth time he cursed that other dynamic of his. He was so weak because of it. If he did fight, it would only take one hand for them to render him completely  
helpless yet again. 

He would avoid that at all costs. 

He was left for what felt like hours in the new surroundings. Once that lock began to gripe it’s unlatching, the omega suddenly wished for it to return to the unnerving stillness. 

The sweaty, work toned man lumbered down the straw cluttered hall with a bucket of refuse. The new omega whimpered at his approach- earning a swift kick to the grate. 

“Bì zuǐ.” he snarled, landing another kick on the side wall nearest to the omega. He shook uncontrollably as the alpha continued to pace down the walkway. He stopped to open a cage, the soft sound of rot fell to the ground, quickly followed by the alpha re-locking the cage. Then another.  
Then another.

Oliver was the fourth cage the alpha stopped at to drop off the food. The omega couldn’t even bring himself to lift his head as he tried to process what he had just witnessed. Three other omegas were in here with him. All of them were absolutely silent. Kept in cages and fed… What even was that? 

A rotten lump laid among the filth of the cage floor. What did these alphas want with us? What was going to happen to him? Why four omega? Did one of them die- could it be that the monster looming around had killed the one before Oliver? Is that why there was a cage for him? 

His stomach twisted as his mind spun darker and darker theories. A ragged sob ripped from his throat before he could catch it. It was followed by another- then another. Oliver couldn’t stop himself as he collapsed in his containment. Every bit of him seeming to shatter and fall away. 

Today was supposed to be a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~ Hot chocolate and hugs can be found in the comments~
> 
> Hopefully this does not disappoint.


	19. Donato : 2 : Waste

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind your sanity as you cross these parts. I would say don't worry, I'm already working on a way to fix our little omega. But he's going to have to hang in there until next chapter.

The days were scorching, the nights were freezing. The omega could feel his muscles atrophying from the lack of movement. His stomach ached from hunger because he was refusing to attempt the rotten slime that was being fed to him. The man had seen that he hadn’t eaten from the day before- so he didn’t bother dropping another morsel. The omega would have to eat was in front of him before he would get something else. It was progressively decaying as the omega watched on. Some time during the first week the husk found himself wondering if anyone had noticed he was missing yet, or if they still thought that he was off somewhere throwing one of his temper tantrums. 

Why he was brought here still eluded him. Thus far he hasn’t seen the stinking alpha more than when he drops off what little food he would allow the lot. No talking- no interaction, not even allowed out of his filth filling containment. The prospect of dying from hunger didn’t seem like the worst option that could have happened. At some point the alpha had shown some resemblance of mercy and left half of a bruised apple on the cage floor. 

When the omega had first noticed it in his fogging mindset he thought it was a dream. He tried to reach the few inches for it- finding his arms didn’t want to respond. His joints groaned painfully at the effort. He nearly slid to his side from his crouched position from the slight momentum of leaning forward towards the morsel. 

It was by far the best thing he had ever tasted. The movement hurt his jaw, his consciousness was lapsing as darkness beckoned him into that blissful nothing. But he had to finish eating. If he put it off to later- he may not wake up. Footsteps were echoing rhythmically. Slowly- it was the older alpha. He didn’t frequent the barn, normally it was the younger, more rash son.

“Tā mā de báichī,” the elder barked out the barn doors, pointing with a gnarled finger to the ground. He turned away once he was convinced of what he saw. His borderlining graceful movements paced between the cages. 

“Méiyǒu rén yuànyì chūxí.” the younger spoke simply, those dark hollow eyes swiveled towards the trembling omega, his body curled tighter in on itself.

“Nǐ huì zài tāmen dàodá nà yīdiǎn zhīqián shā sǐ tāmen!” the elder snapped angrily, “Hái jìdé wǒ jiàoguò nǐ ma? Tāmen huì xiàng zhèyàng bǎituō tāmen de zhōuqí!” Foreign anger filled the air, crushing the omega into the back of his containment. Why were they looking at him? What had he done wrong? There was literally nothing he could do- he did absolutely nothing!? Was it the apple? 

Was he not suppose to eat that. The omega’s blood ran cold as he licked at the remnants of the sweetest juice on his lips. It… it was in his cage, the alpha had given it to him… 

Hadn’t he?

The younger didn’t look pleased with whatever was growled at him. His dark eye half challenged the elder. The older man tisked him like a child as he turned towards the barn door.

“Zuò nǐ xiǎng zuò de shì. Dànshì, wǒ bù huì bāng nǐ shā diào xià yīgè.”  
“Nǐ xīwàng tāmen tīnghuà, bùshì tāmen, fùqīn?”

The omega pressed palms against his ears- he couldn’t handle the speech any longer. He hasn’t spoken since he’s gotten here- he hasn’t heard a single thing he had understood since he’s gotten here. It was eating away at his sanity. The isolation with monsters just beyond the crooked bars of his chicken coop was like a vice hold against his throat. Just enough to make his mind go foggy with airlessness, but not quite tight enough to give him the mercy of death. 

A cage opened further down the aisle. The sound of a fleshy dragging and a muffled whimper put the omega’s senses on a strained alert. The younger alpha was walking with his fingers digging into the scruff of a skeletal omega. The man was so atrophied that his pants had fallen off while he was trying to keep his legs under him. The knobbly limbs barely resemble walking, his hair was shaved unevenly, his cheeks were sunken in with dark circles under his eyes.

How long had he been trapped in here? The whine the newest omega let out went unnoticed as the alpha continued to drag his skeletal toy out of the barn. For the first time- the omega realized that there was a real chance that no one was going to find him. He would sit here as some kind of caged pet, and merely waste away. 

The silence was both terrifying and comforting. The monsters weren’t here, but neither was help. Help wasn’t coming- not any time soon. That omega the younger one took never did come back. He prayed that it didn’t mean that someone else was going to be pulled into this senseless torment. 

Days blend together- his cage was cleaned one day. Well… hosed off. The icy water almost felt good against the summer heat that was trapped in his box with him. The food got marginally better, but that could easily have been the ever present hunger that was finally relinquishing any kind of standard. 

No one else was brought in as of yet. Only the three of them sat in their silent coexistence of hell. The isolation was starting to cause him to hallucinate. Small voices of nonexistent languages mocked him from the corners of his mind. He knew they were mocking him- he could feel that much.

Oh look, his cage was going to be cleaned again… how nice.

At some point, the omega had given up on thoughts. The prospect of threading words he could never share into complete ideas sounded as pointless as it was taxing. Cold became a constant. His breath started to fog up in the smallest bursts. When was the last time he had moved? His legs were crooked against his chest where they had been held since his arrival. Perhaps a handful of times he tested out the length he could stretch in this containment… Somewhere along the line- that even grew pointless. The omega was only prolonging the dead end hope that he would one day get out of this situation. He was a caged pet. He was like a rat that was destined to be used as snake food. 

In the middle of a frozen night, the omega was jarred awake by a scent he never wanted to come across. The pang of heat filled the barn, sided with panic and a sour… was that Red? The omega tried to gain awareness of his numb body, ice had its tendrils wrapped around his senses. No… it wasn’t him. One of the other two seemed to have fallen into that desperation. Perhaps their body had finally conjured enough strength to send out the final call of help. 

They were unnervingly silent- the omega was certain that the pain of heat would render anyone into a whimpering mess. Anything to gain the attentions of anyone that would help. Only the scent lingered in the air to let him know the anguish the other was in. The omega had honestly forgotten about the other two a little while back. He had forgotten about a lot of things. His world had dwindled down to the cramped space of his mind- which seemed to be closing in on him daily. 

When the ever looming alpha made his rounds in the morning- he seemed to be pissed off at the omega’s development. The shorter man half ran out of the barn with a growl of frustration in his throat. He soon returned with the elder, the two seemed to be regarding the red stricken omega. Their words clashed like rivaling birds, a thunderous punch echoed off of a metallic grate. 

“Nǐ xīwàng tāmen jìnrù gāowēn. Hǎo de, zhèlǐ.”  
“Jiù xiàng wǒ yǒu shíjiān chǔlǐ zhège!”  
“Wǒ gàosùguò nǐ rúhé bǎoliú tāmen, nǐ jiùshì nàgè bù tīng de rén.”  
“Fùqīn,”

“Bié gěi wǒ nàgè yǔqì.” unadulterated rage filled the noise. Another blow echoed off of the walls of the decrepit place. The omega tried to still his breath- willing him to be perfectly silent and motionless as the snarling alphas paced ferally. The younger one seemed to have had enough and left. The elder paced with a calculating look in his eyes as he regarded what he had to work with. 

Something clicked as the elder moved towards the newest omega’s cage. His heart was rattling uselessly in his chest as those calloused hands gripped at his scruff and pulled him from his balled up position.

Pain bloomed mercilessly as his disused limbs succumbed to the pull of gravity. His joints had grown locked in their states, his legs were little more than twigs now as he was listless against the man’s efforts. 

The omega found himself on the floor of a back room. A couple bare countertops lined the wall, an unsteady table with a splintered looking chair squatted in the center of the area. 

“Zhè shì nǐ yīnggāi bèi ānzhì dì dìfāng.” the elder snorted, his eyes raking over the abused omega. “Rúguǒ nǐ hěn xìngyùn, nǐ réngrán kěyǐ yúlè.”  
The door closed solidly- a latch sliding into place. The footsteps trailed away, eventually returning with what sounded like another omega. The door of the next room was also latched. 

The floor was rough wood, but it felt nice to be able to lay down. His crooked back hurt with the stretch of straightening out. He had room. He had space to straighten out his legs. There was a high window with metal bars- if the omega could will himself to his feet. Perhaps he could see the sun one more time. He never thought he would be so thankful for such a minimalistic room. 

Pain worked as invisible shackles that kept him on the floor. The fact he was forced into a new position sent his nerves ablaze in agony. Whimpers escaped, not that anyone would hear them. Not that anyone would respond to his distress. Why would his biology beg for the impossible?Darkness overcame the omega from the efforts of lifting himself from the floor. 

The omega woke slowly. His thoughts were afraid to find that the room he was brought to was just a dream. He had dreamed many times that he was back at home- back with his family. He dreamed that he had the chance to apologize to his sister. Communication. Touch. He was going insane the longer he stayed here. 

The longer he stayed alive- the worse it would become. Why would the alphas go through the trouble of taking him, if they were literally going to leave him alone to rot. Sunlight filtered through the bars on the window. The warm light dancing tantalizingly on the floorboards just a few feet away from the omega’s balled form. 

He had wanted to see the sun one last time… perhaps today, he could just feel the sunlight? How long had it been since shadow hadn’t been on his skin? He thought he was pale before- he was very wrong. His arms looked bone white. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought them to be skeletons. 

Just… touch the light. He tried to move, his limbs shaking under him as he fought against gravity. He could barely get his chest up from the floor, his legs laid uselessly at his waist. A whimper of a growl squeaked from his disused throat- he had grown so listless in his time here. His body sagged uselessly as he accepted that even the goal of crawling a few feet was a monumental task. If he kept going, by the time he would get over to where the sun was it would have moved. He would be chasing shadows…

The elder stepped in, regarding the omega that was still where he had left him. An expiring fruit was in his calloused palm, he made sure to wave it mockingly as he dropped it on the other side of the room with a pathetic thump. If the omega wanted to eat- he would need to move. 

Hunger urged him on as he struggled to claw his way to the other side. His strength was depleted. The omega fought against the pull of unconsciousness out of fear of losing his food. The fruit looked good- better than he’s had in forever, and it was a whole apple! He wanted to get to it, before the alpha decided that he had made a mistake and comes to take it back. His fingertips were bleeding by the time his body collapsed, refusing to undergo any more effort. 

The omega had barely dragged himself half a foot. 

What the omega assumed was the next day- the elder returned to the room. He grunted a foreign curse as he saw the apple untouched. The omega had barely even rolled over onto his side. The alpha stooped lower, his cold fingers finding the pulse point on the omega’s thin neck. He hissed another curse.

“Zhè bù huì chíxù hěn cháng shíjiān.” his voice scolded out of the door, the younger alpha seemed to grunt in confusion.  
“Nǐ xiǎng shā tā ma? Huòzhě nǐ zhǐshì bǎ tā fàng zài yīgè dàizi lǐ?”  
“Nà biān de hóngsè hěn kuài jiù huì sǐqù.”  
“Rúguǒ nǐ xiǎng yào chǒngwù, nǐ kěyǐ bāngzhù tā.”  
“Tā huì zàicì zhuǎnshēn, zhè bù zhídé wǒ huā shíjiān.”

The younger alpha snorted his last retort, disappearing into the barn. The elder didn’t even bother closing the door, knowing this omega wasn’t going anywhere.

Greasy fingers locked around the omega’s throat after his eyes fell shut. That alpha with that sickening smirk was above him again. He kept purring his disgust as he let his sight roam the atrophied pet. He lifted the omega easily by his hold, enjoying the last few weak struggles and sounds he was able to wring out of his amusement. 

The omega was dropped in what he could only describe as a coffin. The wooden lid slammed unceremoniously over top of him, leaving him in the utter darkness to listen to the footsteps pace away. The omega could no longer breathe- panic settled in his core as he clawed weakly at his encasement. 

His cries were broken from disuse- the volume barely audible over his racing pulse that pounded in his ears. A mantra of wordless terror ripped every ounce of clarity from the omega. He was going to die- they were treating him as if he already had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot chocolate and Hugs are in the comments~  
> remember this is just me practicing- feel free to be brutal.


	20. Donato : 3 : Others

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still heavy on the confusion on this one: I won't give an all clear till next chapter. but this is definitely better than the previous two.
> 
> We're about to get our little omega some help.

Time stood still. dragged. Raced. He didn’t know anymore. There was no way to know. He fell unconscious more and more… maybe for moments at a time? Was it days? Pitch black grinned demonically every time he opened his eyes. His eyes were open right? Can't tell a difference. Isn’t there supposed to be a difference?

He pounded against the walls, dug his nails against the laquered wood. His skin and nails were too weak. He could smell the blood dripping from his fingertips, he couldn’t feel it. He couldn’t really feel his limbs at all. Only the sound of the struggles told him he was still trying. The sounds were growing faint though, even his feral side was giving out. That corner of his mind that screamed that he was going to get out of here, he had to get back home.

His sister would have to move on without him. 

Against his own will, his body settled down in his coffin. His arms were folded against his chest, his legs still crooked under him. The absolute quiet let his mind wander without much of his input. The fleeting thoughts scattering around- jumping from subject to subject. It felt like chattering from a stranger: almost comforting.

He was woken by an orgasm being ripped from an omega outside of his containment. The cries were cracked, desperate: the scent of red flared all over again- even weaving into the minute cracks that allowed the omega to breathe. His mind shuddered even though his body wouldn’t respond.

The monsters weren’t going to just let the suffering end for him- would they? They were going to keep the red omega on the brink of death. Tether him until he was so far gone… What sounded like gunfire ripped through the barn. The omega dipped into unconsciousness at the fear. His mind fleeting dangerously away from him. Why would anyone do such a thing? He couldn’t smell the blood, but he prayed that he would never need to smell it. Perhaps the pitch would claim him before the scent wormed its claws into his air. Heavy feet were moving around, a man that sounded like rattling chains. Foreign words rolled off of adrenaline fueled tongues. Too heavy to be one of the two alphas, were we being kept to be sold off? Were we just sport, like prized pigs?

Multiple men, heavy boots. They were circling like barking wolves. Yipping at each other every time one discovered or didn’t discover something. Something dragged his box. A barely audible whimper cracked his stale vocal cords as hands were scraping at the outside of the wood. The omega didn’t have the words, but he knew he didn’t want. Whatever was crawling like a feral animal to get in wasn’t a good thing. Wasn’t a sane creature.

The other omega had gone completely silent- had they killed him? The gunfire had turned into a low hum in the background noise. 

Blinding light of a torch burned into the omega’s dark adjusted eyes. A startled snarl gasped from above him. The light was dropped almost instantly. The creature above him thrusted his hand against the omega’s throat. Why? A whine stuttered as he sucked in the last few breaths he could. The alpha didn’t clench his fist around that neck, he actually seemed to jerk back at the sound the skeletal omega managed to muster.

“Ho bisogno di un fottuto medico!” the muscle bound man barked over his shoulder. “Gesù, cazzo.” he muttered lower, his hands splayed as he turned back to the omega.

“Ti porteremo fuori di qui, ok?” he had control over his tone, the hands moved slowly as they curved under the omega’s shoulders and knees.

Medic?... Okay? The omega clung to those two words like a lifeline. Praying that they didn’t mean something different- something dark.

“Ora sei al sicuro, va tutto bene.” the alpha was cooing under his breath, his movements were slow and delicate as he laid the omega on the floor next to the crate. “Va tutto bene.” become a pinched mantra as more alphas surrounded the two.

“Questo lo rende il terzo nella stalla?”  
“Si. hanno ripulito la casa?”  
“ce n'era solo uno. È in condizioni leggermente migliori, per fortuna.”  
“Bene.”

So many hands, so many people. The world that only consisted of himself and his thoughts was suddenly swimming in multitudes of bodies and words he couldn’t fully grasp. His brain decided to escape for him. The room spun until nothing else existed except for the omega and the pulsing pain of his head. 

He woke up under the choppy noise he thought was gunfire. He realized all at once that he had been strapped down- not that he could fight against it anyway. He was also moving… that vague sway in equilibrium when the world seems to sweep past you.

A… helicopter? 

Why would there be a helicopter? 

His thoughts were sluggish, crushed too tight in his skull. Everything was too compact in his skull- the pressure felt like it was going to burst. He wished it would- just for the pain to stop.The omega was unaware of his own struggles against the bind, against the wires and tubes that were probing him. His senses swam, his sight burned too badly to try to open his eyes against the light around him. A whine, high pitched in his own ears, whistled from between grit teeth. 

A large, warm hand came to rest on his collar bone. The omega found himself startled into silence. Instead of his throat or scruff, that touch searched out that little gland at the base of his throat. It rubbed small, timmid circled against the flesh. The omega’s body was flooded with hormones he had forgotten he had. Was that a purr? Was he just whimpering like some stray pup? It felt like the tingle of a thousand soda bubbles had rushed to the surface of his skin. 

The racing of his mind had stopped almost instantaneously. All thoughts and worries had stopped. He was pushed back under by the surge of his own body’s drugs, whatever this was- it had to be better than that coffin.

This had to have been the first time in too long that he had woken up warm. Not nearly frozen to death. Not sweaty and fevered from the summer’s rage. Just… warm. The omega found that the room around him was relatively quiet, shy of a rhythmic beat that felt miles away. He was in a room. 

Great… what kind of room, brain? He tried to wrangle his train of thought into one direction as he was slow to realize that his surrounding was barely lit. Something easy on his eyes. The sun was out- he could see the rays trying to peek their way into the room from the edges of the black out curtains.

He wanted to believe he was in a hospital, but his gut told him he was with a new master… Perhaps this one has some form of compassion still intact? Maybe this one actually cared if he would die or not. Hell… hopefully this one waits until he’s dead before he’s put into a cascate again. No… never again. 

Movement on his left caused him to flinch painfully. He struggled to sit up, finding himself still strapped down, still helpless and invalid. He was beyond frustrated with the inability to move. 

Frustration… that’s good isn’t it? He wasn’t hopeless- he was frustrated because he knew he could sit up, he could get up and walk away. One day. Maybe just for today- he needs to fight to be able to command his limbs, even if it’s just to sit up on his own. A heartbroken sound wheezed from his parched throat, his stomach hurrying to remind him just how empty it was. He literally was running on fumes. Weakness was going to over power every self motivating spur he could conjure. He was just… pathetic..

A hand laid on his elbow, warm and thin boned. He realized a man’s voice was hushing him softly. Just a whispered coo of that simple sound. When the omega stilled, he seemed to hum thankfully before taking a breath.

“Andrà tutto bene, sei al sicuro.” his voice hummed just as softly as the hush. The omega shivered from the mental anguish. He couldn’t understand a single word. His eyes screwed shut against the tears that wanted to fall. This was better, but more of the same. 

“Sei al sicuro.” he repeated before thinking something over. “Puoi capirmi?” His voice hitched as if it were a question. The omega was left grasping as nothing- no context. No reasoning. Where was he? Was this alpha… little more than twenty something years old, his new master.

Was he the son of some wealthy family- one of those horror stories where the omegas are take away into slavery? Another whine escaped, more broken than the last. The alpha hushed again, his fingers sliding warmly long the omega’s skeletal forearm.

“Puoi parlare? Annuisci con la tua testa se riesci a capire quello che sto dicendo.” another gentle whisper, torture with a feather. He was soft and gentle but still dug in all the right spots to dig out the worst kinds of emotions. The omega had learned that these foreign speaking alphas prefer him to keep silent. So he did. He just mentally curled in on himself and let the alpha do whatever he will. The omega had no power over any of it anyway. 

“Niente?” the alpha sounded almost heartbroken. Nothing. The omega had nothing to go by. Nothing to reference from. He just existed meaninglessly at this point. 

The scrawny alpha stood, patting the back of the omega’s hand a few times before pacing towards the doorway. Alone, he was going to leave the omega alone- again. Even if he had ill intentions- even if it meant more suffering- the omega didn’t want to be left alone with his thoughts again! He hadn’t realized how much he had relaxed under that light touch until it was gone. His body raised a panic in its place. A whirlwind of icy daggers crawling along his senses, teasing him with his isolation…

He hadn’t even realized he had made a sound, let alone the panicked wordless pleas that fit animal more than man. The omega was falling back completely on instinct. He’s been losing track of his body a lot lately.

“Cosa stavi facendo?  
“Non appena ho toccato il suo braccio, gli ho dato una pacca sulla mano quando me ne sono andato.”  
“Qualcuno può trovare Donato?”

The voices, multiple people kept talking back and forth. The omega couldn’t even pretend to listen anymore. He couldn’t try to pick out the words from the streams, he didn’t hear anything vaguely familiar… just more garbled mess.

Once, just once more in his lifetime- the omega would love to look someone in the eye and say.

“Hello, my name is-” … is… fuck. What was his name? It’s been so long. He couldn’t have forgotten it! It had to be somewhere lurking in the muck that was his mind. It had rolled off of his tongue so many times- it had been called out by so many people over the course of his life. How could he have forgotten!? 

Fingers graced that bundle of nerves at the base of his neck once again. That threw him right back into the room, surrounded by standing figures. Like something out of a nightmare- they were holding him down. The scent of his blood clung to the air. Bodies moved around him chattering hurriedly in a slurred deranged speech. 

Those long digits pet his cheek, sweeping his sight onto the beautiful woman. She smiled through thin lips, nerves clear in her brown eyes. She was the one massaging small increments into that gland. Her other hand’s nails softly scratched through the uneven tufts of hair across the omega’s scalp. As he felt himself succumb to the sensations- he wondered if he just prayed hard enough. That maybe he would be granted a final sweet dream before he has to reawaken to this chaos. Who knows, maybe that silly little sound people use to know him as would come back to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot chocolate and hugs are in the comments!
> 
> feel free to leave any little remark- there's no need to go insane alone.


	21. Donato : 4 : Don

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, fluffy storyline. does that exist?
> 
> up until now little Omega of ours has been kidnapped, starved, locked in a box, and scared by the ones that meant to help.  
> I think that sums it up?
> 
> Not saying there won't be lingering panic attacks or things like that- because no one comes out of that okay- but from here on we can safely say our omega is in safe hands.

The air was clear. It was light and sweet and… incense? He hadn’t realized how persistent the sour scent of panic and fear had been until it was completely gone. Was this a dream? Another hallucination brought on by insanity? He almost didn’t want to open his eyes- that would mean shattering the illusion. 

The room itself was still dark, he was still comfortably warm. The sun was no longer edging around the curtains, it must have gone to sleep. That’s okay- maybe it’ll be back soon. The walls were a warm neutral something. His eyes had a hard time deciphering the colors, but there was low countertops on the far wall. A sink. What looked like a miniature countertop fridge. The omega cracked a smile, that was the cutest fridge he had seen. Ever. Someone had drawn a frustrated chibi face on the door and taped paper cat ears on the top. 

His blurry sight swiveled to the IV stand that was on his right- the bag itself was half empty. His arm had been wrapped thickly with white gause, to the point he couldn’t even wiggle his fingers. Maybe he had torn out the IV beforehand?

He was almost surprised to find that the constant computerized beep was right next to him. His heart rate, his blood pressure, everything was displayed on a dimmed down led screen that sat squat in the corner: as if the little robot was afraid to spook him. Wires spiraled along his left arm, some of which weaseled into the short sleeve of the clean smock he was dressed in. 

He braved a steadying breath- this really was a hospital.

He did his best to ignore the fact he was in the room alone. He had an idea of what kind of building this was, but still had no idea where he was. Where in the world. That smoother- almost romantic language was the only one he heard being mumbled in the hall. Time… existed. 

The omega had lost the ability to feel the passing of time. Whether it dragged or raced made no difference. He just existed. 

A soft knock echoed from the lone door. That little robot in the corner promptly reported the spike in the omega’s pulse. It was that woman alpha, her long hair was tied back formally, her dainty hands splayed out in front of her.

“È bello vedere che sei sveglio.” her voice was slow, careful. “Posso guardare il tuo braccio? Devo cambiare la medicina.” Doctor… she had to be a doctor… he closed his eyes and braced himself. The presence was scary- but being alone was worse. The omega didn’t know if he was promising himself- or trying to convince himself. He sucked a startled breath as a soft hand landed on his chest. His sight snapped open- locking blurily on the careful face of the alpha.

“Non ho intenzione di farti del male.” she hushed, her touch was light as it pet over his jutting collarbone. When the omega didn’t fall farther into a panic attack, she turned her attention to the hanging bag that was running very low on fluid. Her skilled hands worked quietly as she seemed to hum some random tune. A new pouch hung snuggly on the stand when she rested her fingers on the elbow of the still omega. She hushed a few more purring words. His arm was being unwrapped. The absolute frailness of it settled like a stone in his gut. 

He knew he had lost weight, but now that he could see how much smaller he was than the woman’s slender hands. He swallowed back bile, closing his sight against himself. The little robot seemed to whine in protest- the woman hushed again urgently, her touch ghosting over his thin skin. She finished what she was doing. Replacing the still clean bind with another- apparently cleaner one. Her voice carried lightly over the silence, wordlessly- meaninglessly. At least they weren’t angry.

A man leaned into the room, another alpha. He had dark chocolate eyes and light wisps of dark hair hanging over his forehead. He looked almost timid. Timid was an unusual thing to see on an alpha. The omega quickly found himself more curious than apprehensive towards this new stubbly face. The doctor seemed to greet him warmly, her voice carrying lightly as she spoke to the younger alpha.

He looked towards the omega, his movements were kept unhurried. The omega tensed only when the man’s hand raised to the omega’s cheek. A large, smooth thumb pressed just on the cheekbone, before wiping away tears the omega didn’t know were falling. 

“Non parli italiano, giusto?” that timid side of the alpha shown through the tone of his voice, the syllables pronounced delicately. “Pouvez-vous comprendre le français?” The omega’s eyes widened… comprendre- that sounded a lot like comprehend. Was the man asking if he could understand him? Of course, they wouldn’t mean to keep him in this verbally isolating hell! They… they just didn’t know what language he spoke. The omega opened his mouth finding his tongue to be a dried out sponge, useless at the bottom of his mouth. 

The alpha tilted his head, noticing the intent. He looked towards the woman, speaking something to her. She seemed to wonder back and turned on a heel for the doorway. “Je serai juste à côté de toi, d'accord?” his tone sounded more natural in that sentence. Like he was flipping between two languages- one he was raised with, one he had learned. “Je ne vais pas te faire de mal, ma chérie.”

He settled in a chair next to the omega, where the previous alpha had resided. His fingertips smoothed over the bony structure of the omega’s forearm. Smoothly and slowly, he let his touch soothe those taunt fears. He understood that he couldn’t reach the terrified one with his words. The alpha only knew two languages- and neither of them seemed to be it. But there was many things that didn’t need to be said to be conveyed. The alpha focused on keeping any form of malice or wince out of his expression, he couldn’t afford for this fragile mind to have a concrete reason to fear him. He moved only when he was sure the omega could see him.

He was certain to stay away from his scarred scruff.

The omega found himself pliant under this alpha. One corner of his mind was screaming for the alpha to go away. Another was crying for the alpha to come closer. Both corners were opposite and far away- like a bar fight down the street. Once in a while they would get loud enough to hear what the drunks were bickering about- but for the most part they were just harmless idiots.

Another knock echoed on the door, but before the alpha could even raise his head an omega bounced into the room. His blue eyes were captivating against his tanned skin. His smile was broad and unfiltered as he nodded his greeting towards the nervous bedridden skeleton.

“Ho sentito che l'italiano non funziona.” He chirped quickly, tilting his head and studying the reaction of his assignment. The nearby alpha ran a thumb over the littler one’s fingers when he flinched.

“Je pense aussi que Monsieur a essayé le français.” those blue eyes never lifted from the other omega.  
“Ya sabes, tengo seis idiomas, vas a necesitar elegir uno.”  
“nawet uśmiech?”

“You’re just going to leave me hanging- aren’t you?” those blue eyes smiled brighter when he saw the spark run though the silent omega.

“You speak English, don’t you?” his voice carried a thick accent that melded multiple dialects into one strange tongue. Weakness be damned- the omega forced himself to sit up, his eyes wild with a thousand questions. The alpha at his side let out a startled sound as he stood to catch the falling form before him.

“Don’t get up on my accord,” the omega moved closer, sitting himself on the edge of the bed. 

“Can you tell me your name?” from this close- the tanned omega’s ears looked a touch too big for his head. His mouth was a bit too wide, his dark hair was cropped close to his scalp. He was still beautiful- only because he spoke words that could be understood. 

“Oliver.” his voice sounded like he was trying to mouth around sandpaper: quite honestly felt like it too. 

“Well, Oliver, My name is Donato. I’m in charge of big o’l snuggle bear over there. Can you do me a favor and not look at him for a second. He doesn’t speak a lick of English, but he’ll get suspicious if we keep looking at him.” Don patted Olive’s hand and smiled as if he had just said something reassuring. “He’s here to keep a watch over you. Honestly- there is a real chance that you may go Red once your body gets its strength. Mr. SnuggleMuffin over there is going to try to keep that from happening. Feel free to use and abuse him as much as you want. I don’t have an alpha that speaks English yet, but I got you the sexiest one in my arsenal. 

“I don’t have all the details, but I know they found you in a pretty bad place. I’ll have you know that the other three are going to be okay- just like you. 

“Oh, right, are you even into guys? I can find you a beauty of a woman. I also kind’a picked Cuddle Bug over there because he actually is pretty good at his job. But if you feel more comfortable with a girl- just tell me. Tell me anythin’ you want really, he won’t be offended by our ‘omega talk’ because as soon as I say his name he’s going to look all pathetic and wave. Isn’t that right Matteo?”

Just as prompted, the alpha blushed slightly from being caught off guard. He waved with half limp fingers and a smile tugging on the edges of his lips. Don gave a knowing smirk, waiting for Olive to gather his thoughts. He always did ramble, but he found that when he was talking with socially starved people- they welcomed the rambling wholeheartedly.

Oliver smiled towards Don, his voice was spent from conjuring up the one word that was his name. Someone spoke English. Someone finally explained to him what the hell was going on. 

He could freaking kiss Donato right now. 

“Are you okay if Snuggle Muffin stays?” Don arched a brow, earning a slightly worried expression from Matt. Oliver nodded, Matt seemed sweet enough and his boss was an omega. Someone like that shouldn’t have that bad of intentions… Right?

“Not that I’m telling you that you stink.” Don tapped a finger a few times as he dipped into another language for a few words- trying to find the right phrases. “Let him give you a bath-” Don lifted his fingers to count off. “Helps against red. Gets blood moving sly your joints again….” Don stopped for a moment, as if wondering if he had said that right. “And he has the most heavenly soap, you may even want to buy some at the end of this.” 

Oliver found himself nodding again after he considered the reasons. Well. two of the three reasons. Don lifted Olive’s least restricted hand and kissed into the fingers before looking towards Matt.

“Pouvez-vous l'aider à nettoyer plus tard?”

“Bien sûr.” The alpha almost looked relieved by gaining a hint into their conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for putting up with my rants!
> 
> feel free to throw fits in the comments~ these are just practice rounds so go on, be brutal.


	22. Donato : 5 : Matteo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is late going up purely because I slept in. I worked late last night- have mercy.

Matteo seemed sincerely sweet. The alpha was fussing over his charge like a mother to her kitten. Despite the IV’s the omega’s throat was painfully dry- Matt noticed, and was returning with a bottle of water. He waited until he was at the bedside before he cracked the seal of the cap open.

Water was a rare commodity over the course of that hell. Most of the time it was drugged so the twisted alpha could enjoy a showing of utterly paranoid, trapped omegas. Oliver almost forgave himself as he flinched when the bottle was raised to his lips. Those chocolate orbs soften for Olive, he purred something in french just before taking a visible drink from the plastic. 

The small gesture fought that paranoia back into the recesses of Oliver’s mind. He had to remember this was Matteo’s job- he’s probably seen reactions like this before. Olive didn’t know if that should have been reassuring or sickening. The alpha had Oliver propped up against his muscular forearm, he watched the omega carefully as he fed him small mouthfuls at a time. 

The touch felt nice. Oliver barely held back a whimper when Matt had settled him back down on the bed. The omega was shivering despite the layers of blankets that was piled atop him. One could have easily mistaken his bed for a placeholder of laundry fresh from the drier- waiting to be folded. 

As a particularly violent shiver chattered the omega’s teeth, Matteo leaned closer, his warm hand slid under the cotton. Hot fingers splayed across Oliver’s bicep, moving carefully to the icy ribcage still coated thinly by the smock. Worry creased his brow as he hissed to himself. 

Matteo was standing over Oliver, the alpha moved slowly and deliberately as he maneuvered around the myriad of wires attached to his chilled omega. Oliver could see that Matt wanted to explain what he was doing, he looked almost pained by the restriction. One arm slid beneath the fragil shoulders. His other cupped the knobby knees. He studied Oliver’s face, silently questioning if this was okay.

May I pick you up?

Oliver nodded before fear could change his mind. Matteo lifted the omega as if he was a feather, the alpha’s long legs folded as he joined the other on the bed. Oliver was cupped on Matt’s lap. The warmth radiating from this man is insane- like a living furnace. He allowed himself to nuzzle in closer. Those powerful arms embracing him so that there was no risk of falling. 

When a happy little sigh escaped- Oliver didn’t expect the scent of this man to be so perfect. Like some kind of fruit? Sweet and pine, something that reminded him of one of those oddball foods he and his sister would poke at in the grocery. He lifted his head slightly to nose closer to the source. The alpha hummed happily at the feel. His palm moved to the base of Oliver’s skull, holding little one against his chest. Matteo’s face and ears blushed when he realized he had released those relaxing hormones normally shared by mates. The omega noticed- but he completely didn’t mind. His thoughts were fuzzy, his head was druggedly floating away in the best possible way. 

Oliver was being cooed to, slowly awoken by that french rolling purr. He peeked curiously to find that the woman doctor was standing at the bedside. A smile of adoration and apology was on her face.

“She needs to look you over, sleeping beauty.” Don’s voice chirped.

The omega turned into the hot chest under his cheek and whined. Don chuckled, Oliver could hear the bouncing footsteps wander the room as he bantered something in italian. The woman answered lowly, the chest under him heaved a sigh.

Matt’s hands carefully peeled the omega off of him. Oliver groaned, wanting to return to the warmth. The loss of the contact was almost too much.

“She promises this won’t take long.” Don winked at the uprooted omega. Chills were already returning to Oliver’s skin. The woman carefully held Oliver’s head tilted, a light quickly flickering from eye to eye. She must have found what she was looking for. She glanced towards Don- using him as a translator.

“Do you know what year it is?” Don reported. Oliver swallowed, he hadn’t thought of the date in a long time.

“ ‘16.” he croaked, trying to do a rough estimate in his head. It was June 2016 when all this started. The look he received from Don iced his veins. The omega translated quietly, earning the omega the same glances from the other two.

“It’s May 2017.” Don corrected carefully. “You’ve been here for two weeks. Granted you probably don’t remember the few times you woke up.” Oliver stared into a wall, he was in that coop for almost a year. How long was he in that box? How close to death was he?

Matteo pulled him out of his thoughts by leaning him back against his chest. Oliver’s head tucked under the alpha’s chin naturally. 

“Mister Davis.” Donato shocked Oliver with his last name, he snapped his sight to the blue eyed trouble maker.

“We were afraid you weren’t going to wake up- so we took the liberty to do a DNA swab. We just got the match from Rogue River England: your parents and sister send all of their love. We’re trying to arrange travel for them to come here.” Don struggled to talk slowly, the too wide smile overtaking his features. 

“Wheres… here.” Oliver’s question was barely audible- Matteo did his best to repeat what he had heard.

“Venice, Italy.” Donato chirped, “How about we get you fattened up to survive one of your sister’s bearhugs- then I’ll see that you all get a chance to look around?” 

The doctor fussed over a few more details. The IV was removed- so was the catheter- much to the great embarrassment of Oliver. Don had made Oliver promise to try to eat, and had promised the omega over and over that the hospital would not tamper with his food or drink.

The others must be having trouble with that too.

Eventually Oliver and Matteo were left alone in the room once again. Matt’s strong fingers were scratching at Olive’s scalp as the omega was humming for the first time in forever. His family knew where he was and they were going to be reunited soon. His sister, May, would probably crush Oliver with the state that he’s in now. Donato had a point in saying that they needed to “fatten him up.”

It had been almost a year since he’s been home- that alone was unreal. That hell was behind him. He could feel his old self starting to bud in his chest. Oliver was quick to realize that this place only meant to help him- even with the language barriers. Spending that much time alone- really made him love the time he had free.

“Free” 

Sunlight taunted him from the edging of the blackout curtains. Bright, happy little tendrils that cheered up the room even though they were severely restrained. Tomorrow, Oliver decided. Tomorrow he was going to go over there and open those curtains. He didn’t care if it took him most the day- he didn’t care if he had to fend off this babysitting alpha. He was going to see that god damned sun.

Diner came. It was a simple broth with some crackers. Oliver had been nursed back from the dead by hospital slime, and it had been almost a year since he’s eaten something that has been fit for consumption. The smell made his mouth water, the steam from it made him nervous.  
He was definitely going to burn himself with this.

Matt had every intention to feed the omega like a child. Not necessarily thinking of Oliver as a babe- but that is how the omega took the gesture. He sat, silently challenging the reserved eyes of good intentions. Reasoning argued that he should just behave, pride wanted to do it himself. Let him try, before he lowers himself to be hand fed. 

Damn, it felt good to be himself again. Oliver ignored the alpha’s attempts and lifted one of the thin crackers to his lips. Matt snorted softly through his nose as he smiled lopsidedly. There was no missing the stubbornness on this omega’s face. Matt didn’t have the heart to insist- if his charge needed to do be like this to get better, he would silently suffer the awkwardness.

Oliver felt like he had won a battle when he finished, by himself. It was the first non spoiled, filling meal he had eaten in far too long. That food-coma sleepiness was washing over his thoughts as he nested back down into the blankets. Ready for another nap. He let Matt take the dishes away. Oliver had mentally decided that there was a difference between getting served and being babied. That distinction was probably just from the sudden onslaught of laziness. If Matt tried to keep Olive awake- the omega didn’t even notice the efforts. 

“Ma chérie,” a voice hummed in that french roll that alpha always carried. Why was everyone always trying to wake him up? “Il est temps que tu te laves, chérie.” Olive was greeted by the soft smile of the stubbly chin. He found that all of the wires had been removed from his left hand- the last few stragglers were being undone by the alpha. The omega groaned, rolling back over and tempting sleep once again. The alpha tisked, pulling the blankets away. 

Oliver made a note to self to become like Donato- learn a crap-ton of languages so that he could tell everyone off equally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured we needed a fluffy chapter to rebound from the last few: this is actually starting to wind down the story into a nice little bow. I would predict 3 or so more chapters before everything has been addressed.
> 
> thank you for putting up with my rants~
> 
> feel free to comment: these are just practice rounds so any feedback is amazingly appreciated.


	23. Donato : 6 : Zombie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh I hit a nice little bout of writer's block on this chapter.  
> I know this isn't going to be the greatest thing in the world. but I got it typed out! which was more of a struggle than it normally is. I'm not totally burning out- I just know where I want it to go, and I have to figure out how to get there.

Matt had carried Oliver to the attached bathroom. The alpha had placed Olive on the toilet with a blushing mumble. After a soft kiss to Oliver’s knuckles, the alpha paced out of the room. He was giving the omega privacy. Of which Oliver was beyond grateful for. 

Oliver found himself ready to face the task of standing. He had already taken care of himself and was determined to not need to be rescued from the toilet seat. The counter was solid under his left palm, the opposite wall wasn’t too far ahead of him. He could totally wedge himself between the both of them. Leg strength be damned- he was going to do this.

He wobbled at first, but he urged himself onto his unsure feet. His right forearm slammed unceremoniously against the white tile of the bathroom wall. He adjusted his foot slowly. Braced himself for the pull of gravity. So far so good.

He risked losing the security of the wall for favor of reaching for the sink countertop. Moving around was a lot easier now than it had been- he just mentally noted that he needed to overcome this fear of falling. Gravity held him to the earth, it wasn’t out to murder him. An almost deranged chuckle bubbled from his throat as he turned on the hot water. It had been forever since he’s been able to do this. Just a simple thing some people don’t even practice- though they totally should.

He wished he didn’t notice the mirror that was set in front of him. His hazel eyes were sunken in. He had freckles once upon a time. Now his skin was ghost white: dark circles commanded over his protruding cheekbones. His jaw stuck out too far beyond his hollow cheeks. His once styled hair was chopped irregularly by sheep shears, just short enough to keep lice out.

He looked like a zombie. If this was a horror movie: Oliver would have assumed he had turned. 

Somehow, despite all of the signs that things had changed, his image in his mind was akin to how he always had been. Not this- not this corps that was staring at him like a deer in headlights. His lungs filled with lead. His head compacted so many thoughts at once he felt like it was going to burst. Was that a hand around his throat?

His fingers clawed at the naked flesh of his neck- tearing into the invisible maw that had ensnared him. It wasn’t letting go- white specks began to flash over his vision as air refused to fill his lungs.

More hands were on him.

Oliver wanted to fight them off with is new found strength- but he couldn’t tell where the attacks were coming from. Something gripped his chin, spinning him abruptly. Dark eyes, inches away. They were wide with worry but narrow and observant. The alpha pulled Olive against his body, a hush whistling from his teeth. Hot lips overtook Oliver’s mouth, a strong breath forced into his lungs.

Oliver found himself choking. He gasped for more air, sucking in the fruity aroma of Matteo. Matt was there, he wasn’t going to let whatever that was hurt him.  
“Il a besoin de se calmer. C'est une attaque de panique.” Matt’s voice vibrated with a sense of alpha Oliver didn’t know the man possessed. “Attacco di panico.”  
“De quoi?” was that Don? There were two other nurses pressed at the doorway along with him.

“On peut le découvrir plus tard, comment dit-on ‘respire’ en anglais?”

“Breathe,” Don must have stepped into the room, “Oliver, you need to breathe-” Oliver felt himself being forced another breath, Matt’s scent was filling the space he was in. Calming, powerful. Matt was an alpha at his core- it was definitely starting to show.

“You’re having a panic attack,” Don spoke again through the chaos. “Just focus on breathing.” Oliver found it was a lot easier to do as he was commanded when he balled his fists in Matteo’s shirt. The alpha never fully silenced, his rolling whispers now speckled with the word “breathe” under the purr. The alpha’s heart was pounding against the ribcage actively trying to break out. Somehow the alpha kept his own breath under control, as if guiding the omega into what to do. 

Whether or not it was intentional- that’s what ended up happening. 

Oliver found himself shivering from embarrassment. He had just caused a scene for no good reason. Don let out a soft sigh of relief when the more aware gaze of Oliver fixed to him. Olive was still wrapped around Matt, whom where both now sitting on the bathroom floor. With a flick, Donato deactivated the emergency alarm switch. Matt must have hit it. That must have been what summoned Don. 

“Are you with us?” the omega questioned as he took a seat on the floor, his back leaned against the sink. Oliver nodded, mumbling a sorry. Don quickly waved it away.

“Absolutely none of that, now.” he chastised lightly, “Mind I ask what happen?”

“I’m ugly.” Oliver mumbled into Matt’s shirt, he had no idea how he was going to face his family like this. A snort promptly answered the confession, the omega leaned to the side to glance up towards the mirror.

“Well, it’s still intact- can't be that bad.” 

That earned half a chuckle from Oliver.

“Sweetheart, You are sick. It’s going to take time to get better. Getting weight on you is part of that process. If this is about your family- don’t even start that crap. They love you for your mind, for your soul, and for some ‘rude-ass, stubborn attitude’ I keep getting warnings about.” Don decidedly stood, holding out a hand for Olive to take. Matteo looked confused between the two- again left out of the conversation. 

Oliver stood, albeit shakily, and found himself snorting at the reflection that tried to mock him yet again.

“Should I have mercy on him?” Don nodded toward the now even more confused alpha. “Especially now that he thinks I just thanked you for something.” Oliver nodded again, figuring that if he was suppose to be Oliver’s babysitter he should know what was happening.

“Il a été surpris par son reflet, je suppose que nous aurions dû nous attendre. Je veux dire, je ne pense pas qu'ils ont gardé des miroirs où il était.” Don reported, a flash of a snarl encroached his expression but he quickly schooled it away. A brat of a smirk replaced it, “Au revoir pour le moment, enjoy the bath.”

Matteo snatched Donato’s arm as he turned to leave. “Demande lui, s'il veut de moi dans l'eau avec lui. Je ne peux pas demander le consentement si nous ne pouvons pas nous comprendre.”

Don sucked a sigh, looking over Matteo incredulously. “Vous savez que c'est le meilleur moyen de le garder à l'écart du rouge.”

“Demandez-lui son consentement.” the alpha’s voice hardened. Donato shook off the offending arm, his eyes rolling in their sockets.

“Mr SnuggleMuffin needs to get into the bath with you. He wants to know if it’s okay.” Don’s voice was growing tight, his sight still narrowed on the alpha.

“In? As in… naked?” Oliver blushed a deep color, just having the alpha in the same room while he cleaned was embarrassing. In the same bathtub!?

“I’ll tell him to keep his underwear on.” Don shrugged. “Besides ‘no’ in english and french are super close- he’d be able to understand you if you tell him.”

“Oh, okay.” Oliver still couldn’t bring himself to look directly at the alpha. Don reported curtly before turning to leave. 

“Parto per la notte, questo turno di dodici ore mi ha ucciso. Prova a sopravvivere fino a domani?” Don leaned against the doorway as he whined out his last sentence. Matteo waved him off.

“Dieu, j'espère qu'il ne vous a pas seulement menti.” Matteo growled under a breath before moving to turn on the bath. Oliver stood against the counter as he watched the man move deliberately around the room. Towels and washcloths were set out, he had fished out three bottles from within the cabinet and set them in a row on the ledge. It really looked like the alpha had picked up the habit of nesting. Matteo shut off the tap. His jaw clenched with thought as he turned toward his frozen charge. Carefully he took Oliver’s wrist, leading him to sit on the ledge. 

“O...okay?” Matt stuttered the word- rounding it out too much with his accent. Oliver’s fingers were led to the bath’s clear surface, perfect warmth flooded his hand. He couldn’t help the smile if he had to, Matteo seemed a touch less anxious. 

The alpha stripped his own shirt off over his head, pausing to study the omega’s reaction. Carefully, he stepped closer while pressing the omega’s thin fingers against his muscular chest.

“Okay?” he questioned again. Oliver swallowed- trying to keep his eyes on Matteo’s face. He nodded, not to sure of why he was okay with this. 

The two were situated in the tub, Oliver was nested between the alpha’s outstretched legs, those firm hands massaging and seeking out every pressure point that flooded the omega’s body with tingles. The alpha was letting the omega’s instincts relax Oliver. 

Closeness, touch, safety. Matt knew how to pull the strings, yet Oliver didn’t have the fight in him to point it out. He never realized how pliant he could become under a stranger. Matteo soaped up one of the cloths, the scent of the fruit filling the air almost instantly. 

A pang of realization prodded at the omega’s mind- of course the alpha would smell like soap. He actually cleans himself. He had grown so use to the stink of working man that he had forgotten that some people actually care about their hygiene. 

“Mangue.” the alpha held up the bright orange bottle, a round vaguely familiar fruit pictured on the label. Oliver found himself studying every detail. Don was right- Oliver wanted it. 

Sometime between the point the alpha started washing the omega’s limbs and the point the alpha was adjusting to start on Oliver’s hair: Oliver found he couldn’t quite keep his eyes open. It was strange being this relaxed, this comfortable. He had been sleeping most of the day already, but the drowsiness wanted to pull him under yet again. 

When Oliver roused enough will to open his eyes, he wasn’t in the bath anymore. He wasn’t even in the same hospital room anymore. Fear would have spiked, if he wasn’t so freaking comfortable. The bed he was laid on was so much softer than the hospital gurney he was kept on. It was an actual mattress, with actual pillows, and actual blankets. He could see the light of someone on their phone over in the corner of the room. His vision was too blurry to know who it was. The scent of Matt encased him so it was fine. He was too drugged up on sleep for him to realize that the smell was coming from his own skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my rambles~  
> here's to hoping tomorrow's chapter goes a touch better~
> 
> comments are still highly appreciated, there's no need to go insane alone!


	24. Donato : 7 : Venice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just putting a happy little note here that my sketchbook I thought for sure was long gone has been returned to me. Apparently I left it at a coffee shop I had a habit of frequenting and the owners held onto it for me. I love them to bits and my doodles are forever in their debt. I had three commissions I thought I was going to have to restart from scratch in there!

Oliver woke slowly. No one was there prodding at him, no one was threatening to pull the blankets off from over him. No lingering isolation nor pang of hunger. It was peaceful. Soft talking could be heard from outside the closed doorway, but he was alone in the room. It looked more like a lavish hotel room than a hospital. Sunlight danced on the carpeted flooring from the two large windows that had the blinds closed- but Oliver could almost feel the warmth from the rays from the bed. 

Today was the day. Quickly- before someone comes in to check on him. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his feet finding the floor more familiar than they had the day before. He was dressed in soft pajamas- both a long sleeved top and a full length pants. Much better than that smock the nurses had dressed him in.

He was sizing up the distance to the sliding door. He had only wanted to open the window- but there was an opportunity to actually step out. Looks like there was a porch outside, he could sit. Breathe fresh air. 

That was the motivation he needed. His legs took his weight, his palm leaned on the side table by the bed. He felt stronger than yesterday. His movements felt surer than yesterday. Maybe that bath did him good? Was he feeling the effects of Matteo’s massage from last night?

Oliver didn’t let himself ponder on it for too long. Once he was sitting outside in the morning light- he could let his mind wander as it wished. He made three good strides before he was forced to reach out to the humble wooden desk that leaned against the wall. His arms took part of his weight off of his shaking knees. 

Just a minor set back- he bargained with himself, he hasn’t fallen, and he is far from helpless. Oliver jerked himself towards the sliding door, his thin hands grasping onto the handle. 

It wasn’t even locked.

The day was beautiful. Freshest spring air rushed around the room like an eager child. Bird songs suddenly became so much easier to hear. The bubbling giggle of water filtered between the buildings. It wasn’t until Oliver stumbled over to the outer railing that he realized the streets below him were streams.

Narrow, colorful boats were tied to docks at each store, each shop. People bustled along thin bridges and walkways that edged the clusters of structures. Spring here was gorgeous. The water below him was clear and vibrant from aqua plants budding up to the surface. 

Venice. Of all places in the world- this had to be the best place to end up. May would absolutely love it here. Hell, she may not want to go back to humble little England once she sees this. 

May. She was coming here. Oliver was going to see her again. He had decided that the first thing he would say to her was “I’m sorry.” followed closely by “I love you.” Olive missed his parents as well, but the relationship with them had always been a bit rocky. Perhaps he could treat this as a second chance with them? He could forgive the past- because they would have to face that they would be absolutely miserable without his antics. Which Oliver had every intention on ensuing as soon as he was physically able. 

His baby sister had probably gone through just as much hell looking for Oliver as he had from being kidnapped. That’s over now. It’s better now. Oliver’s thoughts always wanted to go dark- he wouldn’t let them. He was stronger than that. He was too stubborn for that. 

Three chairs were set close together on the small patio. Oliver sank eagerly into the closest one- his sight wandering the beautiful city around him. His skin finally kissed by that ball of nuclear power he had craved so much. Weather was perfect, sky was perfect, people were perfect, the city was perfect. Oliver was almost overwhelmed by the purity of it all. Oliver had found a nesting little bird across the way. Tucked between the bricking and a worn statue a brightly feathered mama was weaving her babys’ crib. He was fixated on her- wondering what kind of little one she was- when a knock came from the sliding door.

Matteo was leaned against the door frame, his dark eyes smiling. The stubble that he had adorned yesterday was shaved off cleanly, lending him to a much younger version of himself. 

“Bonjour mon amour.” He almost sang, his long legs carrying him to the chair next to the wide eyed omega. Oliver wanted to ask if he had even slept last night- he looked like he had. He was in fresh clothes, smelt of fresh cologne. Who was in the room with him then, or had Matt spent the night?

Matteo didn’t seem too hurried to move Oliver, no rush to do anything. The doctor even hadn’t made her presence known. The omega welcomed the stillness. This was the kind of things the best days were filled with.

Matteo tapped Oliver’s shoulder, flashing his phone’s screen towards the omega.

“Breakfast is ready.” was translated next to a french sentence. Oliver nervously reached for the phone.

“How did you sleep?” he typed out- unsure on how to translate it since the site was written out in french.

Matteo quirked a brow at the question. “I slept well. I hope Jo did not scare you.” Jo? So that wasn’t Matt in the room. Oliver felt his ears blush- he didn’t even notice when the shifts changed. 

“Hungry?” he attempted to speak, again rounding out the sounds a little too much. Oliver nodded, figuring holding out wasn’t going to help anyone.

Milk, cheese, ciabatta, brioche: Oliver for the first time felt like he was dunked head first into italian culture. Matteo ate with him, balancing the platter on his knee within reach of the omega.

Oliver found himself hoarding most of the sweet bread. Matteo had a small cup of coffee- but apparently the doctor hadn’t cleared the omega for the caffeinated addiction as of yet. Matt tapped Olive’s arm once again, handing over his phone.

“Your family is heading to Italy today. The flight will not land until late at night. Tomorrow they can visit.” Matteo smiled at the excited look in Oliver’s eyes. 

“How is the other?” Olive tapped out, he was almost nervous to get the answer.

“You are stronger than they are. We work with them.”  
“There was only one other, right?”  
“Three. four in total.” 

Oliver’s throat tightened at the head count. Perhaps everyone had made it? There was three there before him: one was taken away, another had gone red, the third was deathly quiet. Somehow all of them had made it?

Matteo threaded his finger though the hair of the omega, fixing the few strands that were long enough to be rebellious. His eyes held so much more emotion than the words on the led screen. Straight, word for word, translations seemed to lose the unsaid meaning behind language. Oliver was painfully aware that he was forced to rely on technology to get a glimpse into this man’s undoubtedly loving mind.

Why else would an Alpha do this kind of work for complete strangers?

Gunfire pierced through the air. Oliver dropped off the edge of his chair, his arms covering his head. His mind raced to the worst case scenarios, fear causing him to grasp at Matteo. The platter of food clattered loudly to the wooden deck. He had the alpha in a deathgrip as he pulled him down. They had to get inside, they had to take cover. Matteo’s voice sounded panicked and confused. The alpha lifted the omega off of the floor to carry him inside. 

Matt sat on the bed, his voice hushing Oliver a he tried to press the phone into the omega’s trembling hands. 

“Parle-moi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas? Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?” the alpha switched languages, hoping something would sound familiar to the english speaker.“Cosa succede? Dimmi.”

“Guns” the omega manage to type out with trembling hands, hyper aware how open the room was. Matteo had him tucked under his chin, their scents spiked from the panic.

“Helicopter.” the alpha typed, holding the phone where the omega could see. “That is a helicopter landing.” Oliver cursed his own stupidity, burrowing his face into the collar of his defender. The red omega wasn’t being attacked, that was the sound of help arriving. 

“Omega in red.” Oliver relented when the alpha kept insisting for him to write something. 

“Soldier will help if in late stages of red.” Matteo thought, reading over his words. He was probably trying to find a way to word this without it sounding terrible. “Only enough to get to hospital.” he added after a moment. 

Oliver wanted to shut down his mind for a while- a nap suddenly sounded nice. All the anxiety of that place had surged back to the surface. He hated to think that he was someone with “triggers” now. Oliver just told himself that not enough time had passed- he was allowed to relapse a few times. Matteo nuzzled into Olive’s hair, his hug reassuring as it wrapped nearly twice around the omega.

He promised himself he was too bull-headed to stay down forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for putting up with my rants~
> 
> I'm not too sure how much longer this story is going to be: plus I have a little surprise for the ones that have stuck with me in the next story line. So one, maybe two more chapters then I'll be taking my customary break. 
> 
> Comments and smart-ass remarks are highly appreciated: feel free to rant


	25. Donato : 8 : May

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this finished right before I have to run to work
> 
> so brace for the sea of typos

The clock was reporting noon by the time Matteo lifted his head. Oliver groaned, predicting that he would have to move soon.

“You should try to walk.” the phone read out. Oliver groaned again, he was too comfy to be bothered with something like effort. Matteo tapped his shoulder encouragingly, proceeding to peel the overheating omega off of his chest.

“Allons. Allons-y.” He chirped with more vigor than the omega was ready for. Oliver was balanced on his feet, unwillingly, the only thing keeping him up was the hold the alpha had on his shoulders. Oliver whined like a child dreading school, Matteo tisked him. 

“Je sais que tu peux marcher. Allons-y.” 

Oliver let out his last protest, seeing the determination in the alpha’ frankly amused eyes. He hadn’t seen the hospital since he’s gotten here- he supposed it wouldn’t be too boring to get a look around. 

The room let out into an extra wide hallway. Stations were set up in the nooks, some carts held medication, some held food that was in the process of being delivered. Nurses smiled tightly everytime Olive passed them. Matteo held under Olive’s right arm, supporting and leading him through the buildings. 

The main room was huge. Couches and televisions were circled in the farther corner, desks with computers like the opposite wall. Tables with what looked like mutilated crafts stood in the center of the room. Glitter and glue staining the carpet. It looked like it had been designed with children in mind.

Frail looking omegas littered the room: each one was accompanied by an alpha. One looked shockingly similar to the one that had been dragged away all that time ago. He had a bit more meat on his bones- but he stood stock still in the center of an open space. His eyes fidgeted from the movement around him, his alpha purred softly as he tried to encourage the omega to relax. Oliver studied the petrifying fear that seemed to keep the man in a vice. The omega looked physically better than he had when Olive had last seen the man. Mentally, he looked broken. Maybe they were trying to show him that it was okay here? He could move, talk, function.

Unless his alpha physically moved him, he held every position he was placed in. Regardless of if it was comfortable or not. Oliver only noticed that Donato was in the room when he caught sound of that laugh. The oddball was crouched by a young girl, her hands holding out a scribble of a drawing. A language Oliver hadn’t heard before poured of Don’s excitement. 

Matteo smiled nervously, trying to read if this was too much for Oliver. He was fidgeting with his phone in one hand- probably trying to decide what to say. 

Oliver braced himself and approached the fellow survivor. The man’s eyes flickered between Olive and the man’s alpha. The alpha hummed something- turning his sight towards Matteo for a second before backing off. The two stood on the sidelines whispering italian to one another.

“Do you speak English too?” Oliver asked carefully. His voice had gotten better, he was almost proud that he could finally control the tone that he used. The omega looked terrified. He frantically glanced round the room- counting off the alphas before returning to stare wide eyed at Oliver. 

“They won’t hurt you here.” Oliver hushed, the promise echoing his own fear from when he first arrived. 

“You don’t know that.” He answered, voice cracking. He was shaking, tallying off the alphas yet again.

“Have they?” Oliver wanted to run a hand over the omega’s clenching fist, he was convinced that the omega was breaking skin with his nails.

“Tubes. Down to my stomach. Won’t let me die.” he stuttered. Oliver frowned. Of course, they weren’t going to let him die. If he refused to eat- they were going to need to resort to forced-feeding. 

“They want to help you.” Olive tried to keep his voice steady. The unrestrained panic that was overtaking the mentally scarred omega was eating away at Oliver’s resolve. 

“They’re coming.” the omega warned through a pinched throat before falling perfectly silent.

Donato had been watching from the sideline with a curious look on his face. He was the one approaching the two.

“English?” Don tilted his head. Oliver nodded, the spike of first hand empathy was starting to strangle his heart.

“You can talk to me, tell me what happen.” the omega let his touch wander to a pressure point that visibly made the tense man’s stance drop. 

“Want to end.” he whimpered, his eyes locked to Oliver- pretending that Don wasn’t here.

“We can’t let you hurt yourself.” Don struggled to keep the hiss out of his voice. “Is it the alphas? Is it noise? Tell me how to help you.”

“I don’t understand Alpha’s commands. He’s going to hurt me.” the man was growing unsteady on his feet, the tingles from Don’s touch seemed to be the only thing keeping a full blown panic attack at bay.

“Adam doesn’t make commands.” Don promised, barely stifling the swear under his breath. “He is here to protect you.” 

“Tubes.” the omega echoed. 

“You need to eat.” Don knew where the omega was going with this. Forced feeding wasn’t a normal practice for omegas that have been just rescued. But this one just absolutely refused- he was ready to die.

No one was going to let that happen.

As if something had snapped, the omega collapsed to the floor. Every alpha in the room all reacted at once. Don had made an effort to catch him as soon as his knees gave out, causing Don to fall with him. Oliver was left wide eyed and in shock, he was pushed back by an alpha he didn’t know. Just enough to give room for the approaching medical team. 

The man had started to seize. 

Matteo turned Oliver away from the sight- pressing the omega’s nose against his scent in hopes to prevent him from scenting the panic in the air. Omegas of every age started to panic over the event. Oliver didn’t even realize when he had been lifted from the ground. Matteo’s powerful legs moving him away.

Sunlight warmed the omega’s face. His alpha had managed to move out to a rooftop patio. Other parts of the hospital were still towering over them, but the view was over what felt like an ocean. 

His breath hitched, the scene from just a few moments ago all but forgotten. Matteo hummed in question as he lowered Olive’s feet to the floor. Yeah- his sister was never going to return to England after this.

Matteo let the omega wander the tiled rooftop. His eyes brightened as soon as he got a glimpse of the lagoon. The alpha had a swell of pride that his charge not only was facing his own hell flawlessly- he had stepped up to try to help someone else.

The two were recovered from the same mission. No one else would really understand what was running through their minds like each other. They were also able to learn that the broken omega also speaks english- maybe the other two also spoke english? Why would someone go through the trouble of traveling so far to kidnap? 

The alpha wished there was no need to kidnap at all: many countries still had shaky grounds on omega rights. Some old fashioned alphas just liked to watch ‘unruly filth’ be broken down: enough so that rehabilitation centers like this were being erected in every ‘omega safe’ country.

The monsters that had hold of Oliver had broken in the other omega. He was convinced that he was little more than a servant. Breaking that mindset once it’s in place was beyond time consuming. Matteo was afraid of how Oliver would behave as soon as he saw his assignment. Oliver was amazing, one Matt would use as an example up until the point the alpha wasn’t necessary anymore.

Matteo may have been one of the only people that hoped one day his job would be obsolete. 

Oliver pointed excitedly towards a colorful gondola, his smile was cliche tourist as he bounced. Matteo had to laugh at the innocence the omega had managed to retain. A rare commodity that they desperately needed more of. 

Oliver found himself tapping his fingers along the wooden desk of his room. He had been out all day, touring the beautiful hospital. Rehabilitation Center? Matteo tried to translate some of the many questions Oliver had about the surrounding statues and artwork: eventually the alpha found out that the omega had the attention span of a nat. He resorted to handing him the phone and letting the omega type out the questions he actually wanted the answer to. 

Now that Olive’s voice worked- he never really silenced. Perhaps it was the fact his family was coming, perhaps he was just envigored by the power of the sun. Either way, Oliver had never felt this amazing. 

It was borderline getting on the nerves of the woman doctor. She couldn’t get two words in before Oliver’s attention shot another direction. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when she caught Don doodling on the small fridge of Oliver’s room. 

She flared up in a raged italian- reminding Oliver of some of the comedy shows he had seen as a child. His senseless giggle helped no one. Matt had covered his face with a palm to hide the smirk that he couldn’t stop.

Don shrugged, finishing with the smiling kitty face before digging though his scrub’s pockets for paper ears he had made beforehand. The woman swatted the paper from his hands, spraying cat ears everywhere. Don looked offended for a moment, huffing a snort as he watched the woman wipe away his artwork.

She spat another warning at him- turning back to the clipboard in her hand. Clearly she wasn’t reading- she was just trying to regain her composure. Don pulled the marker back out of his pocket, ducking down to redraw a face.

He was finished by the time the woman looked back up, paper ears were scattered around Don’s feet- a marker held out offensively in one hand as he tried to tear medical tape between his teeth with the other.

The drawing was happening- Hell or High water.

The woman pressed her palms against her eyes, visibly restraining her frustration. She decided this wasn’t worth the battle and just left the room. When Don had finally lifted from his defencive stance the drawing was revealed to be a cocky little smile with two chibi three fingered hands: each with their middle fingers up.

Don was going to fence a doctor with a sharpie over this. 

Matteo and Oliver were snuggled together watching some random program on the television. Matteo really wasn’t paying attention, and Oliver couldn’t understand it: but it was nice to act casual. 

The alpha reached across the bed to check the time, soon Oliver could hear his alpha texting.

“I have to go soon. Want me to give them bath?” 

Oliver snorted softly at the translation, he was a them now? Oh god, what did his translations make him sound like? He had half a mind to argue that he had actually had schooling in his life.

“Do you need to get in the water with me again?” he handed it back over his shoulder, reving up his motivation for movement.

“It is what is best for red. Hormones even out better. If it is with your permission?”

Oliver considered taking another bath with Matteo. Sure, Olive would have reserves about his own appearance- but this wasn’t for that. Matteo didn’t want to hurt him or move forward with any form of sex. Olive couldn’t tell if that thought was more depressing or reassuring. 

Oliver was certain if he -had- to take another bath with the ‘sexiest alpha in Donato’s arsenal.’ Whom of which gave mind blowing massages. Little omega would certainly manage.

This time Oliver woke up to the rumored “Jo.” He had shocking green eyes, unintentionally piercing from the couch against the wall. He smiled nervously- running a hand through his dark rooted blond hair. He rambled quietly in italian before standing his full, towering, height. 

It only took him two or three steps to cover the span of the room- he opened the door peeking out for a moment. He ducked back into the room after he gained someone’s attention. His sight moved over the omega, clearly unsure of himself. He was probably expecting Oliver to sleep up until Matteo came in. 

Oliver sat up, noting that he was fully clothed. The sun was hiding behind clouds, much to Oliver’s dismay. The air smelt like rain, the people on the narrow docks seemed to be setting up awnings in preparation.

Jo hummed carefully, sitting back on the couch, hand reached out for Oliver to take. The omega couldn’t help the distrust that bloomed. Jo worked here- he worked alongside Matt. There was no reason for him to believe that this tower of a man would hurt him. If nothing else, he looked as nervous of Oliver as Oliver did of him.

Matteo or Donato should be here soon. Oliver’s adrenaline was running too high to just sit around: his family was in town.

He couldn’t help but wonder when they would come. Would they stay here with him? Was he being sent back home almost immediately? Why did that thought scare him? 

He had nothing but wished to be back home up until now: until he met these amazing people. The thought of never seeing them again tore a hole he couldn’t quite handle. Oliver didn’t know exactly when he had started shaking. All he knew is that the alpha was impossibly close to him, knelt down, but still looking the omega in the eye. 

Familiar claws wrapped around Oliver’s throat, the ones that had been called a panic attack before. Why now? Why would he have this kind of reaction to the inevitable? 

He would eventually have to go home.

Oliver’s mind must have shut down for a little while. When he blinked- he was laying on the bed. His head propped by pillows, the bed giving way under his side. Blankets covered him, tucked around him like a child. Jo was sitting on the floor, his giant hand massaging away the omega’s headache that wanted so badly to form.

He hushed carefully though pointed teeth, those yellow-green eyes studying every emotion that flashed on the omega’s face. Careful, observant, freaking deadly: this alpha checked off every necessary box to be some kind of pack leader. Yet here he was, sitting on the floor cooing to some stranger. 

A soft knock echoed on the door, that voice that was undeniably Matteo tested the silence as he crept in. Oliver found himself sitting up abruptly, his feet barely finding the ground before he lunged himself towards the familiar man. The air was almost knocked out of the unsuspecting alpha as Oliver clutched his arms around the man’s torso. 

The two alphas stared at each other. 

“Penso che sia legato a te.” Jo’s voice was feral, the sound sent fear pricking away at Oliver’s senses. Jo wasn’t mad… he was just… alpha.

“Ero l'unico alfa qui. Quindi, suppongo che mi abbia appena usato.” Matteo shrugged, letting his touch ghost over the strange little omega. Eventually that perfect growl soothed in Oliver’s ear. Matteo had just come in for is shift- Oliver had his alpha back for the day.

The rain had come. It was falling with a vengeance, some of the protective structures the shops had put up were blown over. A couple good samaritans were currently trying to wrangle a rogue tarp for an older woman. 

It was nice to see that people still knew how to be nice- outside of extreme situations.

Matteo had received a call a little after lunch, he smiled brightly towards Oliver during it. He abruptly ended the said call, standing to flint around the room. Oliver needed to get dressed in actual clothing- they were going out.

Oliver didn’t fully grasp what was happening until that shriek pierced the air. The unmistakable excited noise that only one omega’s lungs had the strength to conjure. Oliver was slammed into by a smaller body, with enough force to be pressed against Matteo’s torso. 

May. 

Her hazel eyes were bloodshot from tears, her arms wrapped impossibly tight around her elder brother. Oliver wouldn’t have it any other way: he pulled every ounce of his strength to hug her back. Matteo barely had time to back away before more bodies pressed into the hug. Oliver’s fathers were crushing the siblings, their voices cracking mutters of ‘I’m sorry’, ‘Thank god,’ and ‘I love you.’

The pile eventually unwound their limbs, kind of. The May refused to release Olive’s arm. He pressed more kisses into her hair than he had in the entire collection of their lifetimes. 

“I’m sorry.” Oliver croaked, his eyes swiveling over the most important people in the world. He and his sister had fought. He and his dad’s had fought a lot. It was all over stupidity- he could see now. He didn’t hate them: they didn’t hate him.

May looked utterly appalled by her brother. Oliver smiled weakly, repeating himself. May flinched, threatening to slap the words out of his mouth- but resorted to a solid poke to the nose.

“None of that.” her voice hardened as far as her excited state would allow her. Oliver tried to talk again, being cut off by a disbelieving sound May.

“I love you.” he huffed once he had the chance. She withered into tears as she recaptured Olive in a hug.

The dads were breaths away from out right sobbing. Even ‘big bad alpha’ daddy had tears streaming his cheeks unchecked. They were brought to a cozy little sitting room. Matteo sitting obediently silent in the corner. 

As soon as his omega father regained some of his composure, he pointed an accusing finger towards Oliver.

“There are easier fucking ways to get a family vacation. You stubborn ass.” he cracked a smile, even May giggled.

Oh my god. Oliver realized, “That was the last argument wasn’t it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay: in my mind this is a done little segment. I was going to have another chapter after this one, but it ended up being a super short chapter. So now they're merged together and merry christmas and all that.
> 
> If you want me to write more: leave a comment for it. If there are any major holes I forgot to address let me know. All that fun jazz and stuffs.
> 
> Until then~ I'll be taking my two day "vacation" Just in time to start my work week. So If I'm slow at answering comments- I'm sorry, I swear my little ninja army will not be forgotten!


	26. Eugene : 1 : Ten Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, anyone miss me?  
> Probably not- but eh, I've gotten into the habit of posting daily that I actually got cabin fever when I didn't. So yeah- here we go again.
> 
> This round isn't going to be anything serious- just some fluff/smut/comedy weirdness to give all of the good days.

Jovan was off bickering with Geo again. God, those two had a love-hate relationship if one ever actually existed. One minute they’re bouncing ideas off of each other the next they can’t occupy the same air. Eugene gave up trying to figure the alpha fucks out. As long as crates didn’t start flying he didn’t really care how they passed the slow periods. 

Papers were splayed out on the desk before him. Only a few of them were for work. Jovan Senior leaned over the desk, considering the colorful drawings laid out.

“Does Jay know?” the elder’s voice smirked- already half knowing the answer.

“He doesn’t know I’m getting it today. I’ve also threatened getting some fuck-ugly thing.” Gene lifted a sketch that has held his attention for a while. 

“Think he’ll kill you before you can explain?” the salt and pepper alpha tapped the page Gene was holding, “That one would be gorgeous.” Gene nodded- trying to imagine it on his shoulder. 

“Jay already wants to ducktape me to the kitchen table- I need to make sure it’s something he’d actually enjoy.” the omega huffed, looking over the other sketches once more, but he had made up his mind- and it was in his hand.

Gene was allowed to leave early- so he could have the tattoo worked on before he was expected to pick Jaydon up from work. The workers jeered playfully at him as he slipped through the warehouse. His only retaliation was a middle finger in the air as he strode by.

Gene arrived to the RowlKin a touch earlier than he was expecting. The clear plastic on his shoulder felt a lot more obvious than it actually was from under his work shirt. Maybe it was because it felt like the worst sunburn concentrated on one -very mobil- joint. Gene was warned that it would sting for a few days, and there was a bag full of care-kit sitting at his work desk. 

Jovan Jr. was going to be useful for once and drop it off at Jay and Gene’s apartment on his way home. 

The host recognized Gene instantly, the first non-fake smile of the day crossed the young man’s face. The teenage alpha bounced in place before chirping if Gene wanted to be brought to Jay’s section or if he just wanted to hang out by the kitchen door again.

Jay made the decision for him by trotting up to the door. 

“I gotta drop these, they’re my last table, but they’re freaking campers.” Jay spoke so much faster than normal. He probably stole a redbull from behind the bar again. Gene waved him to go- eyeing the tray precariously balancing five large drinks on as many fingertips. The redhead glided up the few stairs to the upper level of the restaurant- quickly disappearing within the crowd. 

Another group of alphas sauntered into the bar, eyeing Gene with a smirk before the host managed to gain their attention with his scripted greet.

“We want the omega.” one demanded from behind a friend, a group of four- looking for Jay.

“He’s no longer on rotation,” the host tried to keep it light. “I have a spot right on the bartop- good view of the tellies.” 

“I see him right there.” one of the greasy bastards growled.

“He’s leaving soon-” Gene found himself snapping. A defencive tick raised in the back of his mind. The four looked over the forgotten omega once more. An alpha growl started in the chest of one of them.

“Where’s your handler, stray?” the larger of the four ground out. Gene snarled, his black eyes hardening. Before they could start challenging each other, the manager had made his way to the scene. To Gene’s surprise- he was pulled behind the deer antlered alpha. The alpha took on a professional smile he had grown to fake seamlessly. 

“What seems to be the problem?” the large manager spoke deceptively pleasant.

“We want that omega you have flaunting around.” 

“Sorry, his shift just ended.” the manager’s eyes narrowed slightly. “He’s paying out his last table and his mate is here to pick him up.” The group snarled about something about false advertisement. The idea of Jay’s mate being here seemed to put a bit of a damper on their agenda. The manager, Scotty, patted Gene’s inked shoulder with an oversized hand as he nodded towards the back of the restaurant. Gene used every ounce of self control he contained to not wince at the pain of the fresh tattoo.

Slipping closer to the back was probably more for the safety of the alphas than the safety of the hot tempered omega. Scotty bantered with Gene while Jay was hopping around- finishing off whatever side work he was assigned to. 

As soon as Jay had the ‘all clear’ from the head server, he promptly moved to Gene’s side. Gene almost asked what was wrong, but Jay dropped his forehead into the crook of Gene’s neck and huffed.

“Done.” he announced. Exhaustion started to reveal itself. Jay was able to keep up the facade while he was on the clock, but every ounce of the act dropped as soon as he was freed. Gene nosed into the familiar warm scent that was his omega with a hum. 

After a beat- Jay sucked a breath and stood straight. He stuck out two fingers for “peace” at Scotty.

“Work tomorrow?”

“I’ll be here.” the manager griped, his eyes flitting over the restaurant once again.

“I’ll see you.” Jay nodded, turning to yell to a cluster of server alpha’s that were farther back into the kitchen. The number of voices that called back almost shocked Gene.

Gene held Jay against his hip as they waddled their way out. Jay rambling on about outrageous guests he had to put up with during the course of the night. The gawking from the four earlier alphas was not lost to Gene. A smirk and a middle finger flashed towards the agape gazes. 

“I smell like beer and armpit.” Jaydon whined a touch too loudly as they were walking down the half filled sidewalk. 

“You say that every time.” Gene shrugged, teasingly sticking his nose against Jay’s throat.

“Cuz’ it’s true.” Jay retorted, shoving Gene off of him.

“Smell yummy to me.” Eugene shrugged again, resorting to offering a hand as a peace offering. Jay’s warm fingers intertwined with his- all was right in the world once again. 

“So.” Jay teased, Eugene suddenly became very conscious of the plastic wrapped shoulder Jay was leaned against. He kept his silence as studied those deviant green eyes.

“Scotty may or may not have a new name for you.” Jay continued to tease. Gene had to force himself to look concerned. Relief was too busy distracting him.

“What would that be?” he snorted when Jay left him hanging. Why was everyone coming up with nic-names for him? Everywhere he turned he couldn’t just be fucking “Gene.”

“Moth-Daddy.” Jay spoke with a quirk on his lip. One of Gene’s eyebrows reached for the sky, his thoughts derailing for a moment.

“The fuck is… WHY?” Gene couldn’t help the squeak that erupted from his throat.

“Goth moth. An’ you’re a big o’l daddy kink.” Jay ignored the indignant noises coming from his omega. “Scotty’s exact words.” he concluded when Gene stopped walking altogether.

“Did you tell him what I called him?” the accusation slipped out as soon as it reached Gene’s mind.

“Maybe.” Jay smirked, “Maybe half the staff now calls Scotty ‘Ten Point’.” 

“Not ‘Ten Point Cunt’?”

“That bit’s implied.” Jay shrugged, offering his hand as a peace offering. How could Gene refuse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for putting up with my rants~  
> I figured there wouldn't be too many complaints if I brought back the handful of dorks.
> 
> feel free to rant in the comments~
> 
> I thought this was four pages worth- it's only three. That's okay. I've already made up for it in tomorrow's post.


	27. Eugene : 2 : Shirt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back~

Gene rushed into the apartment ahead of Jay. Half expecting that fish brain to put the tattoo kit in plain sight. When he couldn’t see the neon blue wrapping on the countertop Gene reconsidered the new name he was going to call the alpha. 

“Wanna shower?” Jay yawned, dropping his apron on the low coffee table of the living room. 

“Not tonight- go on ahead.” Gene waved, mentally kicking himself. He would have to keep this tattoo a secret for at least three weeks for it to be complete when Jay sees it. In theory that shouldn’t be too hard- Gene just had to keep a shirt on for the duration. 

Except keeping clothes on was not what Eugene did. Hell. He met Jovan’s parents in the buff. He met Jaydon in the buff too. Jay would definitely notice the difference. It wasn’t even cold outside to use that as an excuse.

Admittedly, Eugene dreaded keeping itchy, sweaty, bastards called clothes on at all times. Maybe he should just tell Jay he got the tattoo? Maybe after the second appointment. That way he doesn’t question Eugene’s sanity- because at the moment it’s just painterly blobs of blue and grey. 

One week of avoiding Jaydon. 

This is going to be a hell. 

Gene changed clothes as soon as he heard the water turn on. He made a note to send Jovan a “thank you for not being a dick” text message.

“I can feel the sarcasm.” Jovan replied. Gene’s blood ran cold. He hadn’t checked the bathroom- was it on the counter by the sink?

“You fucker.” Gene texted back in a huff. Contemplating the chances he could ninja his way into the bathroom without Jay pulling him in.

“Nvm.” blipped on the conversation. “Quin just told me he moved it.” Gene could kiss Quin. Why Quin was with Jovan while he was walking home- Gene didn’t care. He was just glad the little omega had pity on him. Maybe they were going out for a night on the town again. Gene didn’t work tomorrow- so he didn’t bother looking who would be there. Jovan might have the day off as well, and was taking advantage of it. 

“Fucker.” Gene tapped back, just for good measure before he abandoned his phone on the charger for the night. 

The apartment the two omegas shared was definitely on a higher scale than the last one they were given. Jovan Senior had arranged- by knocking a few heads together- for the omegas to have a two bedroom suite. It wasn’t that unlike the one Jovan and Quin now shared. Gene protested that there was no way they could afford to live in such luxury- but it had been coming easily. Gene was still convinced the Father was shouldering a good portion of the cost. 

He didn’t know if he should throw a fit or just continue on in blissful oblivion. 

Jay joined Gene in the large bed, his red curls still weighed down by water. Jay hummed happily as he wrapped his arms around his omega’s chest. Only a heartbeat passed before he raised his head and looked over Gene with a quirked brow.

“What?” Gene tried to play dumb.

“Shirt.” Jay accented the observation by pulling at the thin fabric of the band shirt.

“So?” Gene continued the act. Jay sat up- studying his boyfriend. 

“Are you sick?” Jaydon concluded, moving to sit on his boyfriend’s hips- his palm smoothing back frizzy hair to check Gene for a fever.

“No?” Gene nuzzled into the hand nonetheless. Jaydon hummed to himself before laying ontop of that chest below him. 

“You only sleep with a shirt when you’re sick.” Jay murmured, already half asleep. Did Gene? The omega wrapped his arms warmly around his sleepy mate. Both of them were purring before long. Gene never noticed that habit of his. He knew he occasionally slept in clothes- but never realized it lined up with him being sick.  
Great, now Jay’s going to be babying him for the next week. 

Gene got up earlier than Jay- as usual. He carefully extracted himself from the octopus koala that was his mate: earning many half hearted complaints in the efforts. Gene needed to barricade himself within the bathroom to clean and tend to his tattoo- he really didn’t need it to heal wrong or, worse, infect itself. 

He sighed in relief when he spotted the bag in the back of the cabinet under the sink. The cupboard was practically unused so it was the best place to stash something. Gene made a mental note to thank Quintin personally for this. 

Jay didn’t even pretend to be a member of the living until the coffee pot finished brewing. Even then the bed slug proceeded to occupy as much space as he could while looking like he was plotting the end of the world. 

This was the closest thing to nesting Jaydon did- and Eugene only bothered him once. Gene might be stupid, but he isn’t that thick to need two brushes with death.  
Gene curled his legs under himself as he sat on the couch. The coffee mug warmed his palms as he watched the demon that was morning -well, noon- Jaydon slowly slip out of Jay’s expression.

“When do you gotta’ go in?” Gene tested the silence. Quickly hiding behind the rim of his mug when those green orbs snapped to him.

“Fuck, I work today- don’t I?” Jay heaved a breath, sinking lower into his mound of comforter. Eventually Jay got up to retrieve his phone, tapping through screens to see when his start time was. 

After a moment of accepting fate: Jay dropped the phone to the table. 

“Six, closer.” Jay summed up. 

“I’ll be there around three than?” Eugene offered. Three in the morning city walkers were never a good crowd. Jay grunted- finally moving past his pile. 

“Think you can give ‘PissAss’ a call? I don’t want you walking alone.” Jaydon slowly walked to the couch, flopping unceremoniously against his omega. 

“You forget who you’re talkin’ to.” Gene would have thumped his chest, but Jay was leaned against him with a hand playing in his bicolored hair.

“I know exactly ‘who I’m talkin’ to’- that’s why I’m worried.” Jay managed to keep his voice even if not a little mockery, his sight was now flickering between the stubble that Gene had yet to rid himself of. “It only takes one asshole to recognize you from that browthel for everything to go south.”

“If you insist. I’ll bother the hell out of the idiot. But if Quin already had plans- you’ll have to answer for this.” Gene relented, never would he admit that he was a little worried that he wouldn’t be able to protect Jaydon if some drunk fuck decided to give them a bad night. 

“You look like a panda, by the way.” Jay spoke off handedly as he continued to rub lazy circles into the hand Gene had over Jay’s arm.  
“A sexy panda?”  
“You forgot to take off your makeup again, didn’t you?”  
“Shut up.” 

Amused smiles quirked the lips of both omegas. Neither of them cared that the television wasn’t even on. They just sat nested against each other in a peaceful silence. It was nice to just talk- a long dead art. 

After spending too long just gazing out the wall to wall window across their apartment, Jay was the first to motivate himself to stand.

“Want me to cook something while you shower?” Jay stretched, his back cracking multiple times. 

“Want to go somewhere?” Gene countered, “I promise I won’t take forever.” The disbelieving gaze Gene received caused a nervous giggle to bubble up. 

“Ten minutes.” Jay pointed to the hallway. “If you take even a minute longer- I’m cooking.” Gene hopped to his feet at the challenge. 

Gene was almost nervous to step into the running spray at first. He had stashed a new bar of “tattoo safe” soap in the kit, but it was still tender. When he wasn’t struck with the fury of a thousand hells he finally let his head hang under the steam. 

God, that felt good. 

He had made a mental note to bring the clothes he was going to wear for the day into the bathroom with him- uncharacteristically locking the door behind himself. Jay and Gene rarely took showers alone- there was a very good chance Jay would try to slip in.

While Gene had his skunk hair lathered up, he heard the distinct sound of an unsuspecting omega slam into the door. Jay swore under his breath, then silence. Gene could imagine the kind of look that as on his mate’s face. 

Two knocks eventually followed. “You okay in there?” 

“Yeah.” Gene called back- getting a nice mouthful of shampoo. The door knob jiggled once more- as if Jay was just checking if it was actually locked or if he had just pulled an idiot.

“You sure?” 

“I’m fine, Hun.” Gene decided to cut his routine short, resorting to bouncing out of the shower to dry and dress in the high collared “Moth-Daddy” shirt he had brought with him. Just as Gene was feigning innocents- Jay managed to pick the lock. With a wrinkled nose those green orbs looked over Gene. 

“Yes?” 

“Who are you, and what have you done with Eugene?” the omega accused while pointing the flat head screwdriver at the offending deflated skunk. The accused barked a laugh while he tried to arrange himself to shave. 

Jay watched with a critical eye, as the razor returned Gene to his babyfaced self. 

“I have to admit, you’re a pretty good replica.” Jay sauntered over, his hand gripping Gene’s still very naked butt. “You have his ass and his neck.” Gene barely had time to drop the razor to the sink before Jay nosed his way just under the collar of the shirt, sucking a little hickey just beneath the rim. The reflection mocked Gene by showing him just how blown his eyes had become by the little ministration. 

“Fucking Brat.” He growled, barely stopping himself from swinging around and marking Jay in retaliation. A teasing hum sounded barely an inch away from his ear. Goosebumps flooded Gene’s senses, he found himself chuckling darkly. His reflection mocking him yet again with the rosy blush that had formed across his nose- tinting his ears. 

“You’re not gonna’ make this easy are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for putting up with my rants~  
> I'm actually working on a drawing of Gene's tattoo- so hopefully it'll be done by the time Jay gets a reveal.
> 
> Feel free to rant in the comments~


	28. Eugene : 3 : Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to title the last chapter.   
> welp. I have a brain- I swear I do.

The two omegas eventually made it to the little cafe that was only a block or two away. They had become regulars in the little corner shop, normally ordering the same things every time. They followed suit this time as well, and were now sitting in a window seat as they waited for the overly hyper alpha to bring out the tray. 

“Can I ask you something?” Jay leaned on his elbow, his other hand in Gene’s grasp at the center of the table.

“ ‘Course.” Gene smiled, but he saw the way Jay’s sight lulled slightly unfocused. 

“You really goin’ to get a tattoo?” Jay finally met his mate’s eyes. Dread flooded Gene.

“You don’t want me to?” 

“Not that. I love tats. It’s just. A fucking Leprechaun?” Jay was serious, but Gene smiled lopsidedly.

“Not even for my Irish charm?” Gene teased, the uncertainty drained from him. Jay was not amused by the comment, going as far as to pull his hand away from his clutching omega. 

“Babe,” Gene protested at the loss. He found Jaydon pushing himself back in his seat- as far from Gene as he could get. 

“I love you.” Eugene nearly melted across the table, stretching both arms out towards his pouting mate. 

“Love you, too, but you are a Jackass sometimes.” the redhead quipped, scooching farther away when Gene almost reached him. A whine escaped Gene’s throat, high pitched and childish. 

“Come back.” the pleading omega finally found his words. Jay huffed, ready to turn away again- but a louder, more desperate whine ensued. Whether he just didn’t want to cause more of a scene than his gothic child of a boyfriend was already causing or if he just missed the simple little contact: Jay would never admit. But he did give one of his palms back to his little pain in the ass.

Gene hummed happily- kissing the each and every knuckle reverently. 

The firebreather found himself begrudgingly taking the steps two at a time as he saw Quintin bouncing at the base of the staircase. The omega had a face splitting smile, his blond hair up in a braid that ran most of the length of his back. For once- he was in clothes that actually fit him. 

“Hey, kid.” Gene greeted- ruffling the vibrating omega’s bangs. Quin bounced between the balls of his feet before throwing his arms around Gene’s torso, a happy little stuttering purr raised from the little one’s chest. 

“He’s been bugging me to come visit you guys.” Jovan’s dark voice chuckled. 

“Why don’t you?” Gene hardened his gaze with a raised brow.

“You both work crazy schedules.” Jovan shrugged. The fact it was two in the morning only supported the alpha’s excuse. Jovan’s mustang was just outside the complex, parked right in front of the entrance. 

“Hope you don’t mind sittin’ in the back.” Jovan teased briefly- of course his omega would be in the front. 

More than a handful of drunken alphas gawked at Jovan’s vehicle as he pulled up to the front of the bar. Not only did the car rev the engine like some kind of beast- totally not done on purpose- there were two omegas stepping out with the lean alpha. 

Pride was clearly swelling Jovan’s ego as he circled around the front of the car to pull Quintin against his side. Eugene rolled his eyes, strutting with a mission into the RowlKin. 

The scent of distressed omega assaulted Gene’s nose. A snarl wrinkled Eugene’s features as he scanned the slowly thinning crowd. Closing time was in fifteen minutes- the drunks needed to file out soon. The host was nowhere in sight, so Gene just walked himself towards the kitchen. Alpha servers noticed the omega all at once. Some of them barked out to him while their arms were still laden was empty plates and balanced glassware. 

One Gene vaguely remembered being called Sev took hold of Gene’s forearm. His unnaturally purple eyes looked as if they were filled with worry. 

“Where’s Jay?” Gene growled, not particularly at anyone as of yet. The alpha may have said something- but Gene was too busy looking over the many faces around him. He turned back to Sev when he felt his arm being pulled. Gene was led through the kitchen, he could only focus on the scent that was panic. He almost would have missed Ten Point holding an overweight cook nearly a foot off the ground. His growl was feral, his hands were clawed like talons. Was that the greasy bastard Jaydon always complained about?

He was pulled into a short back hallway that held two doors for employee bathrooms. Two more alphas dressed in disheveled server uniforms glared at first. As soon as the twins realized who they were looking at they both tripped over each other to knock on the door they were defending. 

“Jaydon.” one tried to keep an even voice- despite the feral shift distorting his vocal cords. Gene pressed past them, the scent that was unmistakably Jaydon was strongest right next to the humble, locked barrier. 

“Babe.” Eugene knocked as he pressed himself against the cold, filthy door. He had to get as close to his omega as humanly possible. His heart was bouncing erratically in his ribcage, his nails carved into the thick layer of blue paint on the doorway.

“It’s me, Babe, let me in.” 

The door’s lock slinked with a loud protest. Eugene almost found himself face planting into the claustrophobic stall from the sudden release of the door. Jay’s gaze was hidden behind deflated red curls, he wore multiple layers of uniform shirts, each one smelling of a different alpha. His own uniform was torn to shreds underneath it all. 

“I’m here.” Gene spoke carefully, not wanting to scare his love. Jay sniffed his nose clear. Jay’s shaking hands fiddled with the edges of the dark cloth he was adorned with.

“Is he out there?” Jaydon refused to look Gene in the eye. The one deemed “Moth-Daddy” -as the whispers around him hushed- stepped back into the hallways, his hard glare searching over where the manager was once strangling the line-cook. 

“I can’t see him.” Gene spoke honestly- although he knew Scotty wouldn’t be stupid enough to let the bastard roam free. 

“The servers stopped him.” Jay admitted, “I couldn’t do anything.” 

“Hey, Babe, don’t even think like that.” Gene nearly sprinted up to Jay, the omega pulled his shaken mate’s chin up from his chest. “Come on. Jovan and Quin are outside waiting for us.” Prying eyes, even if they were friends, were not helping Jaydon calm down. This was far from the first time Jay’s been attacked by an alpha. Every time it happen- Eugene found himself praying it would be the last. 

One day- they’ll find some way to just live in peace. 

“Thanks guys,” Jay mumbled as he stiffly braved to venture to the hallway. The twins were still silent- neither of them trusting their voices. 

“Need us to cover you as you get out?” that purple eyed youth offered, now that Gene had half of his mind working- he realized Sev was missing his top shirt. Only an black undershirt stretched against his deceptively lanky muscles.

“How many are outside?” Gene questioned, instinctively walking as close to Jay as he would allow.

“Not many- but there’s a narcissistic dipshit with a mustang right by the door.” Sev frowned with disgust. “If you want, I could totally knife the idiot, probably deserves it.” 

“That would be our ride.” Gene rolled his eyes. “Narcissistic Dipshit” fit Jovan quite nicely actually. Jay nodded, or was that rocking? Gene chose to not bring too much attention to how much anxiety was building up in his mate and focused on getting Jaydon back home. 

They’ve made it through this before, they’ll make it through again. 

Jovan wasn’t as oblivious to the situation as he wished he was. His jaw was clicking from the restraint he was forcing onto himself. Quintin nosed against Jovan’s side, the alpha’s hands were half way shifted to claws and digging dangerously tight against the little one’s shoulder. He was going to stand there and wait for the two omegas to emerge. If he heard a squeak of distress from anyone inside- Jovan’s fragil control was going to shatter. He would tear the entire bar out of the ground and chuck it into the next state. 

To his surprize, coworkers were following the two he was waiting for. Distrusting young alpha eyes were locked to him. He twitched in a way that cracked his shoulder, the maddening shift just a breath away. Gene didn’t say a word. He just coaxed his love into the small space that was the back seat. Jovan didn’t even break eye contact with the RowlKin workers until Quin was safely shut inside the car. 

By then a larger, deer antlered alpha had stalked along the edges. He looked as if he was ready to attack Jovan on sight. One of the servers whispered something to the looming threat, those purple eyes swiveling back to the edged man. 

Three turns in, Jovan realized he was driving to the wrong house. He grunted an apology as he shifted in the mirror to change lanes. Quin had his tiny hands wrapped around Jovan’s giant forearm. In turn, Jovan had a light grasp on Quin’s knee. He seemed to be using the little one’s presence to ground himself. 

Eugene grunted, finding that he didn’t really care either way. Jaydon was leaned against the opposite window- clearly wrapped up in thought. Gene’s legs bounced unchecked as he studied every line of his mate. He itched to pull Jay against him- but he knew that wasn't what the omega wanted. Jay never wanted anyone touching him right after an attack. 

Eventually Jay would come out of his thoughts- eventually Gene would have the chance to worship every inch of Jay’s skin. Eventually was never soon enough for the anxious panda. He wanted to wipe away the phantom touches that may or may not have happen. Gene doesn’t know how far that prick got. Jay was saved by a nearly feral pack of alphas- that was a new twist in this sickeningly familiar tale. 

Jay bounces back- he always does- he has to be okay this time too. Right? ... Eugene couldn’t wait for the day he never has to go through this again. He had a mind to leave the city- live somewhere in the middle of nowhere. What if omega’s did a little uprise? Just start their own settlement. Start a little city somewhere- where these toxic fucking dynamics just didn’t exist. Things like this should not be a normal part of life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my rants~  
> mind the tag of "Smut" for the next chapter. I don't know if that's a warning or a promise.
> 
> Feel free to yell at me in the comments!


	29. Eugene : 4 : Got'cha *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I ever tell you I actually hate writing these kinds of chapter?  
> That's particularly why I write thousands of these kinds of chapters-

“Wanna take a shower?” Jaydon asked open air from his place against the giant window. Eugene found his throat tightening. Yes. He wanted to say “Yes” so badly. Jay needed him to say yes and for him to take care of Jay as he always did. This was the first thing Jay has said since they had gotten home. The redhead was so reclused for so long- the worry was driving Gene fucking crazy. 

Why did he choose to get the tattoo now of all times? It’s not even close to being done- it had just stopped bleeding for god’s sake! Granted- one never plans for their husband to be assaulted. He could feel Jay’s eyes on him in the silence. Jaydon was probably checking if Gene had headphones in- if Gene had heard him.

As long as he doesn’t turn his back on Jay- he could make this work. Or… if he finds out- fuck it. He finds out. There are more important things in the world than a little surprise that may end in Eugene’s death anyway.

“You wanna get in first? I’ll get our clothes.” Gene decided before Jay could rescind his offer. He heard Jay get up, his steps were light as ever when he padded behind the couch.

“You okay?” Jay hushed- Gene dropped his head on the back cushion. Jay was looking down at him with doe like eyes.

“That’s my line.” Eugene half smiled, “Just worried ‘bout you. Go on, I’ll be there in a few seconds.” Jaydon wasn’t fully convinced- but he nodded anyway. 

Gene had carefully peeled off the clear wrapping from his shoulder while still in the bedroom. If by some stupid reason Jay doesn’t see it, he would definitely feel the tape under his palms. For the first time in so long, Gene felt nervous as he slipped into the already steaming bathroom. Jay was under the stream already, Gene edged behind him.

Despite Jay expecting Eugene to join him- and the effort Gene made to announce his arrival- Jay nearly screamed when Gene touched his arm. Bright green flashed up at his mate- fear snuffing out quickly.

“It’s just me.” Gene hummed, carefully cupping Jay’s jaw in a palm. An honest smile quirked when his omega nuzzled into the touch. 

“I thought maybe the alphas’ scents had offended you.” Jay mumbled. Gene hushed the worry away- pressing closer. Jay was kept under the direct spray of warmth as Gene kissed his way down his omega’s throat.

“I should be glad they were there to help. Even if they do smell like ass.” Gene purred against the little ear under his lips. Jay giggled slightly at the comment. Gene started to lower himself to his love, the worry of keeping the ridiculous little secret sparked again.

“Close your eyes for me?” Gene tested the boundaries- that was never something he had asked so soon after an attack. He earned a trusting hum, Jay actually tilted his head back into the falling water. Steaming streams trailed along his body now. The awestruck omega found his hand splaying along the gentle curves of his mate’s figure. 

He could definitely still take care of his omega- better than any alpha.

Eugene knelt before his omega, washing the pale skin before him carefully. As he moved over the pliant body, he took a mental note of every detail: every bruise, every scratch. Gene’s thin fingers traced over the faint lines of muscle until goosebumps formed over Jay’s shower warmed skin. Slow and gentle, lingering just a touch longer where ever that alpha had marked him. Gene gazed up at his trusting mate- Jay’s expression had soften, if Gene didn’t know any better he would think Jay was ready for a nice, cozy nap. 

Gene hummed happily as he pressed his lips against Jay’s little navel. Gene let his attentions trail down painfully slowly. He nosed against the taunt flesh of Jay’s hip as it rippled with anticipation. He let his hot breath filter through those curly, cute little hairs just a few millimeters from his cheek. When Jay groaned in a frustrated pleasure, a dark hush curled from Gene’s throat. 

Gene managed to stand, his own head swaying from the intoxicating presence that was Jaydon. He sniffed selfishly against Jay’s throat. When his omega flinched- Gene wrapped a sure hand under the base of Jay’s skull. Just enough to hold him steady as Gene continued to worship the fluttering vein under his lips. That little bundle of nerves at the nook of the collarbone smelt like heaven. The literal scent of sex. Gene trembled when he let his tongue run over the husky taste, almost against his control- his teeth bit down. The thin thread that was holding Jay upright snapped. Gene dug his hands into that little ass of Jay, letting his omega lean against his chest. That little reserve Jay had was breached causing his panting and pleading noises to fill the air.

Every time they tried shower sex- they irrefutably end up slipping. Each time was brought to a very abrupt halt by a loud, fleshy slap of bodies against porcelain. Gene really wasn’t in the mood for such a tempt at fate. He whispered promises into Jay’s hairline, carefully moving to turn off the showerhead. 

Eugene’s omega fell back on their bed with little resistance. His blown eyes begged as he reached for Gene, who was stalking the darkened room. He had managed to drop his omega into a mindset that borderlined a submissive. Jay felt safe, almost careless: that alone was a high for Eugene. If Jay trusts him so soon after a hell: Eugene never wanted to disrupt that relationship. 

Gene found himself tangled with his omega, their limbs woven into a god near unbreakable knot. Jay was trembling under Gene’s teasing kisses. That hot mouth moving over sweating, taunt skin of Jay’s neck, shoulders, and chest. A frustrated moan hissed between ground teeth, Jay’s fingers were intertwined with Eugene’s. Gene had him pinned lightly against the ruffled up comforter.

The omega purred something about payback as he smiled up at those emerald irises. The omega under him hissed out a high pitched whine, his body arching for contact. Gene obliged by sucking gentle marks all over Jay’s breastbone. 

Gene tried to convince himself he was only trying to hide the tattoo when he threw a blanket over his shoulders. His sense was assaulted by the purest wave of Jay. Gene was mouthing against a thigh, his dark eyes watching Jaydon unwravel above him. It was as if he had forgotten that he had control over his limbs, he dug his grasping fingers into the twisted dressings of the bed, and his toes curled almost painfully into the mattress. 

Dull fangs grazed against Jay’s straining member. A curse erupted from his throat- his head flew back against the pillows he was surrounded with. Slurs continued to pour as Jay rocked his hips blindly for more touch, more friction: anything but empty air.

“You and your vampier complex.” Eugene teased darkly. Jay’s breath stuttered, his lips mouthed words he couldn’t give a sound to. Gene lowered his lips to the little hip he had pinned under his chest. He nibbled lightly at the skin, just enough to flood Jay’s body with tingling bubbles as he finally wrapped a palm around that incessant, demanding strain of arousal. 

Any restraint or control Jaydon had possessed left him all at once. He was an obscene sight as he clutched his husband’s frizzy hair. Gene had the length of his mate down his throat, humming almost happily as he felt the sanity draining from the captive below him. Jay’s voice was unclipped and profane as he swore up and down every time Gene let that length drop from his lips. He only worshiped the man even more by nibbling along that quivering vein along the underside of his hardness. 

Jay didn’t hold out long. He found himself trembling as a youth, his nails curling painfully into the black and white locks as he forced himself down just a hair further as he came. Gene calmly swallowed around him: letting his mate ride out the height of the sensations. When they both could breathe- they were left gazing at each other. A giggle almost breached Eugene’s threaded voice as he watched his love lay bonelessly on the uprooted bed. With a bratty twitch to his expression, Gene dipped his head to lay a flat tongued lick up the top side of Jay’s receding arousal. Jay yipped out at the over stimulation- a moan cutting himself off. Before Gene could do such a thing again, Jay shot to sit up; both of his hands were on Jay’s chest to hold him back. 

Better than any alpha, Gene smirked to himself. 

Jay looked more drunk than he did lucid. Without much warning he took a firm hold of Gene’s very neglected member, lazily curling a thumb over the crown. Gene’s shoulders quaked, his head dropping to Jay’s shoulder before he could tell which way was up.

“You don’t have to.” Gene wheezed. 

“And let you have all the fun?” Jaydon bantered huskily. He knew he wasn’t as practiced as his husband, but he still loved the way he could make Gene’s dark eyes haze over. He was always such an intense man- it was nice to peel away that facade every so often. 

Jay didn’t bother with working his omega up- god knows he was already on edge. He tucked his knees under himself as he clumsily took Gene’s member. His head bobbed arrhythmically, Gene offered a hand on his shoulder to keep Jay from falling over. Definitely not as skilled as his husband, but he wasn’t exactly thinking very straight at the moment. He was high off of the affection he had just basked in- now he was being pushed right back into that high by Eugene’s soft gasps and quiet praises. 

Gene would normally have moved back slightly, angling his body for the ease of his love. This time was in such a blur. Gene found himself grasping as if he was skin hungry. Jay was relentless, despite his normal reservations of such an act. His clumsy little nut, brat, ginger of an omega was perfect. More than what Eugene could have ever dreamed of. 

“Jay,” He gasped, that viper like coil ready to snap in his gut. “Babe- Babe.” Gene babbled, his voice snapping into a cry as he hunched over his mate. Jay pulled up at the last moment, replacing his mouth with the flat of his palm. He mercilessly massaged Gene’s hardness though and past his climax. Eugene’s fingers grasped for anything they could hold wildly- his eyes almost in the back of his head.

“Brat,” He spat between gasps, quickly panting it like a mantra. Jay seemed super smug with himself. 

“I thought I ordered a sugar rim with this margarita.” Jay teased through a frown, carefully wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of a soiled hand. 

“I tried to warn you.” Gene’s head was floating away, he flopped back against the bed: not really caring that he was sideways along the mattress. 

“Still doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Jay made a face, teasingly slapping the seed coated hand in the center of Gene’s chest. Gene wrinkled his nose in disgust as the sticky was left behind. 

“I can totally find you one of the three remaining female omegas in the city. I hear they are sweeter, I think one still works over at the Cum Bucket, actually.” Gene tried to prod at the mess on his skin, finding that his fingers only made it worse. With a defeated huff, his limbs fell lifeless outstretched at his sides.

“You mean ‘Blackjack’?” Jay was busy fussing with the mess on his hands. 

“Same difference. Either way- they don’t stay in the city very long. The cement jungle is too rough of a place for flowers like them.” Gene waved for Jay to go clean up already. 

“You ever think of leaving Chi-town?” Jay questioned as he tried to turn on the lightswitch with his elbow.

“Often,” Gene couldn’t lie, “I don’t know how much longer I can live looking over our shoulders.” Gene heard Jay hum thoughtfully as he finally staggered out into the hall. Gene bolted up from the bed, rushing for the nearest shirt he could find, which so happened to be one of Jay’s Osborne concert shirts. 

Jaydon’s suspicion of Eugene’s fascination with clothes would only get worse from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for putting up with my ramblings~  
> I've also decided that (*) would mean that it's a dirty chapter. I've already gone through and fixed the previous titles, so whether or not that counts as chapters to avoid or chapters to fish out is up to you.
> 
> Feel free to rant in the comments~


	30. Eugene : 5 : Skunk Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry  
> I had writer's block: my babies don't make it out okay when I have writer's block.  
> that, and, I needed to buy time until the drawing's done. I kind'a slacked off/ went on a field trip and it interrupted my whole flow. 
> 
> Buuut, here's some picture of Chicago from the Adler Planetarium  
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dl1MLowUUAAlDrR.jpg  
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dl1MLoSU4AA2PdV.jpg  
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dl1MLoSUcAAM9Z1.jpg  
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dl1MLoSUUAE5r4g.jpg

“I’m on borrowed time, Dude.” Gene rolled his eyes, “I know how the fuckin’ machine feels now- I can totally sit for the rest of it.” The tobacco stinking alpha grunted indecipherablely. Eugene was at his second appointment, he had to tell Jay that he worked even though he didn’t. Honestly, he had to force himself to keep a straight face when Jay announced that he didn’t work today. Jay had a habit of showing up unannounced with a couple handfuls of coffees. 

Normally Gene would be excited for such a gesture. 

“Or you can just tell your ‘mate’ that you’re gettin’ it.” by the tone of his voice, Eugene could feel the distaste the alpha had for two omegas in a relationship. Another reason Gene didn’t want to need to come back. He was lucky enough to find a parlor that would tattoo him as an omega. Jovan Senior had to sign off for him, which pissed off the fire-breather to no end. Jovan Senior was the only thing standing between Eugene and this prick writing “Whore” across his shoulder blades. 

A begrudging agreement to say the least. 

The artist, Myrid, had too much pride in his work to botch the thing now that he’d started it. That didn’t stop him from making the omega as unnerved as possible. As Gene sat backwards on the chair- his chin on one of his forearms- Myrid rested a large palm on the nape of the omega’s neck. He was faintly gripping right where a scruff would take effect. Eugene did his best to keep his growls hidden with fake winces of pain. He, however, couldn’t help his sight burning into the wall of sketches before him. Silently willing one of them to spontaneously combust under his stare. 

“Last appointment.” He promised himself as the iron dug just a touch deeper than truly necessary, “And I’m not getting addicted like every other tattoo owner.” 

Gene tapped off the fresh tattoo himself. The vibrant colors were dampened slightly by the slow seep of blood from the application, but it looked perfect. He smiled stiffly at the awaiting alpha, his head nodding with appreciation. 

“Remember how to take care of it?” the man raised an eyebrow, cleaning off the machine in his hands.

“Yeah, I’ve got all the junk for it at home too.” Eugene wanted to rant that it had only been a week- but he snapped his mouth shut. He was just glad this was done. 

Eugene stepped out to the busy streets, easily falling into time with the flow of foot traffic. The city was in full force around him. Tourists were easy to pick out at this time of day- they were the ones freaking out. “City-folk” barely paid any mind to the chaos that was automotive traffic, weaving between temporarily stalled bumpers and being edged by bicycles. Police lurked in the crevasses of shallow alleyways and delivery routes that were normally abused by cyclists. Honking was a near constant symphony.

The rule was simple- keep moving or get run over. 

“PICK POCKET!” a young voice called over the crowd. Eugene’s fingers twitched before he forced himself to keep them passively at his sides. People around him made the same visible effort to not check their wallets, phones, whatever they had on them. 

Gene saw what he assumed to be a tourist flinch and grasp at his left back pocket. He had just told the thief where the goods were. The man was walking ahead of Eugene, so he had a clear view of a teen run up to him, ‘asking if he was okay.’ 

His pearl teeth smiled almost authentically as he patted the only slightly confused yet grateful tourist’s shoulder. As he stepped around, the teen seamlessly lifted the wallet from the turning away adult. Within two fleeing steps, he was caught by the bicep in Eugene’s iron grasp.

“Give.” the omega demanded, holding out his other hand. The younger alpha growled out his frustration. Eugene looked pointedly towards the officer that was barely half a block away and making his way towards the two. 

The little alpha thrusted the folded leather against Eugene’s chest with a huff.

“Fuck you, too.” Gene mockingly nodded his head in thanks, returning to a quicker pace to catch up with the still unaware alpha. 

Gene nudged the taller man’s arm with the back of his hand, wordlessly holding out the dark leather for him to see. He stuttered in a foreign language- his hands rechecking his pockets before plucking the familiar parcle out of the omega’s grasp. 

“How?” he questioned- thick in an accent.

“Just don’t react next time.” Gene shrugged, “It happens.” 

Jaydon wasn’t home when Eugene stepped into their apartment. There wasn’t a note left telling of where he went. Eugene pulled his cell out- no missed texts. Was Jay on his way to his freaking work right then? 

The ringing from waiting for Jay to answer his cell was stifling. 

“Eugene.” Jay’s voice clipped.

“Hey, Babe, where are you?” Gene was brewing every possible excuse- none would fit as well as the truth. It was physically painful to like to Jaydon. 

“You tell me.” 

Gene’s thoat closed- his mouth suddenly feeling like drywall. 

“Don’t wait up,” Jaydon growled, ending the call before Gene could even take a breath. He was frozen in place for an eternal moment. Gene eventually found his way to the couch. His head was lost in second guessing everything he had done. 

He wanted this to be a nice surprise for Jaydon. Something as a token for how much Jay actually meant to him. In the process he had become an unbearable ass. Behaving almost paranoid around Jay, refusing things they normally did on a daily basis for as long as they had their hands on eachother. 

Jay asked more than once if Gene had been assaulted. That it wasn’t Gene’s fault- regardless of what job he use to have. An attack wasn’t Eugene’s fault. There was never an attack. Not to the level Jaydon faced- continues to face god near weekly. 

Where was Jay? Where was he going? How long was he going to be gone? What if something happens- what if Jay never comes home? 

How would Gene know the difference of Jay just moving on and something going terribly wrong? Gene wiped his face with his hands, only to find the index and the middle fingers of his left hand were tipped with ruby blood.

He had scratched into his scalp until he bled- again. That nervous fucking tick he thought he had rid himself of long ago. The hand automatically reached back to the spot it had been itching away at. He could only bring himself to stop when he grabbed hold of his own wrist and trapped his hands between his knees. 

Eugene couldn’t afford to fall back on old fucking habits right then. He needed to think, he needed to get his shit together. It had been hours already- an all he’s done is bore a hole into his own fucking skull. 

“Did you hear from Jaydon?” Gene sent the message to Jovan. When he didn’t get a reply right away, he forced himself to set the phone on the table instead of crushing it in his grip. Gene should have been hungry- he wasn’t. If anything, he was nauseous. 

Gene nearly dropped the can of soda he had convinced himself to sip from when his phone buzzed.

“Not recently.” Jovan’s response.

“I fucked up.” Gene sat and stared at the message for a while before gaining the courage to send it. The realization was already burned into his thoughts- but telling someone else made it feel all that more real.

“Mistake hand sanitizer as lube again?”

Gene took a moment to process that little tidbit. One: that had been one time. Two: how the actual fuck does Jovan know about that?

“No.” Gene’s fingers lingered over the keys, twitching every so often without any actual course of action. 

“Jay knows I wasn't at work. I don’t know what he’s doing.” 

Gene almost jumped through the roof when the ringtone started in his palm. Jovan’s smug face was now plastered across the screen. 

“Jesus, fuck.” Gene huffed, belatedly realizing the kitchen floor was currently being flooded with soda.

“You good?” Jovan’s dark voice vibrated the limitations of the phone’s humble speaker. 

“I… I don’t.” Gene found himself grasping for the thoughts that were pestering him just seconds ago- now they were abandoning him high and dry.

“Need us to come over?” Jovan offered with a slight yawn, or was that a stretch? Eugene considered it. He never really had people show up for him when he was a miserable pathetic puddle of mystery. He handled it like the Skunk Dragon that Gene was… because fucking Skunk Dragon.

“I’m just overthinking of everything that could go wrong.” Gene’s voice didn’t sound familiar to his own ears. 

Jovan let out a thoughtful hum, before talking away from the phone- probably to Quin.

“So. If Jay doesn’t come home in an hour- I’ll be right over. And I’m bringing strippers.” Jovan earned a small choked off chuckle from the threat. 

“Why strippers?”

“He seemed to be head over heels over one- imagine if there were four in his apartment, He’d freaking materialize there.” the big alpha lunk meant well. Everything would be okay- and Jay loved Gene. In the weirdest manliest way Jovan could phrase the words. 

“Let’s not need to test that.” Gene sighed, stepping over the lake of syrup the soda can had caused. He would need to clean that- damn it. 

Three in the morning, Gene’s sitting on the edge of the queen sized mattress. His eyes were unfocused gazing somewhere in the direction of a wall. Jovan had sent a stream of text messages, none of which Gene has even opened yet. Some time ago knocking was echoing from the front door. They were persistent, who ever they were. The pounding was followed closely by four or five phone calls. 

They’ve long given up by now. 

Gene was brought out of his thoughtless haze by the click of the bathroom’s lock. He stood so quickly- his legs barely got the warning they were about to be responsible for his weight. Gene didn’t hear the front door open- but Jaydon was the only other one with the key to the apartment. 

Gene stumbled to the doorway- finding that it was infactively locked. He sucked a breath to speak- tasting the scent of so many alphas in the air. His lungs filled with gravel. Skunk dragon lowered his forehead against the door, eyes fidgeting with implications of how so many alphas got their stink all over his lone omega. 

“Babe,” He wheezed between lumps of sand that were stuck in his throat. 

“Fuck Off.” Jay screamed from behind the doorway. Something solid shattered against the otherside of the fairly thin door between them. Gene felt his body give way to gravity. He found his back against the wall next to the doorway, his limbs folded in on himself. The multiple strangers’ scents were making him sick as his own scent decided to assault back: thick, angry, and possessive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the whiplash! I kinda warned you a little bit in the beginning notes. If you're like me and don't read the starter notes: I'm so sorry xD
> 
> Thank you for putting up with my rants!  
> Feel free to rant in the comments~ no need to go insane by ourselves.


	31. Eugene : 6 : BlueJay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back~  
> hopefully you aren't too mad about the ending of the last chapter: I promised I would fix

Jaydon stayed in the locked oasis for what felt like an eternity. Eugene was silent in his vigile- just thankful that Jay had made it home. Whatever happen, he made it home. The red head eventually emerged, unsteady on his feet. He hadn’t noticed that Gene was sat on the floor, until his foot caught on Gene’s leg. He fell, sprawling in the hallway. Gene yelped in panic, crawling towards his dazed omega.

“Are you okay?” Gene’s vision scraped over the half dressed lithe form. A bruise was forming on Jay’s forearm- but he looked okay?

“Fuck off,” Jay slurred, his arms weakly shoving Gene away. The scent of alcohol strong on his breath.

“You’re drunk.” Eugene pointed out more than questioned. Those green eyes were not focused, were not the ones Gene recognized as his husband. The scents of alphas drowned out the scent of Jaydon himself. Gene sucked a breath, lifting himself from the wooden floor.

“Do I need to bring you to a hospital?” Gene questioned the air, not expecting any actual response. One opened in four-ish hours. It would probably take all four hours to get Jaydon decent enough to go out in public. Jay forced his own legs to take his weight- heavily leaning against the wall to his left. 

“I don’t need your fucking help.” he spat, clearly focusing a touch too hard on walking. Gene huffed, snatching the irate omega by the arms.

“Come lay down.” Gene spoke firmly as if handling a toddler. Jay grumbled, but lacked any orientation to actually resist. Gene practically carried Jay to their bed, letting the slurred protest go unheeded. 

Gene cursed silently as he pulled Jay’s shoes off of his feet. The drunken omega made a move to curl up on top of the dressings, continuing to protest loudly as Gene fussed over him. Jay might hate him in the morning, but he had to know if he had to bring Jay to a hospital. 

Eugene managed to pull Jay’s pants down his legs. The fabric tangled uselessly around Jay’s struggling ankles. No bruising, no scratches, not even an alpha scent: Gene studied the pale flesh of his husband, the only mark there was one he had caused the night before. Just below Jay’s navel- a little bite mark. Jay managed to free one of his ankles from the pant leg shackles. He floundered wildly, nearly striking Gene in the side of the head.

Seeing has he’s gotten all the answers he can out of such an irate Jaydon, Gene relented by throwing a spare blanket over his mate. Gene tried valiantly to not let Jay’s actions affect him. He was drunk- Gene’s done some stupid shit while he was drunk as well. If Jay hated him that much, they can figure out what’s next in the morning. Until then…

Fuck- at least Gene knows that Jay is safe. 

Eugene wandered the apartment restlessly. His fingers filtered through his hair without him noticing- as if they were itching to start scratching all over again. Jaydon’s phone earned his attention on the ledge near the doorway. Someone had just sent him a text. 

Gene lifted the phone automatically- moving towards the bedroom to plug it in. At least give Jay a working cell for when he wakes up. The name “Aiden” was flashing just above the message preview.

“If you wake up on the floor- just want you to know you didn’t let me in to help you.” 

The phone buzzed again in Gene’s palm. This time from “Severian”

“If Skunkhead doesn’t give you a straight answer, you can crash at my place.” 

Friends. Jaydon was probably out with friends. Gene’s shoulders quaked from the stress. Jay worked with a lot of alphas- the scents coating him were more than likely coworkers he was out blowing off steam with.

He really wished he knew that a few hours ago. Gene fished out his own phone- sending a short message to Jovan.

“Jay’s home, He’s okay.” 

His phone screen let him know it was almost five in the morning. Now was as good of a time as any to try to sleep. Gene stood spectorly over his dead asleep husband. He was silently willing himself to move to the living room- he should sleep on the couch. He was the one to fuck up after all. 

Eugene woke up to the bedslug’s presence. Jay’s pseudo nest had consumed the lower half of Gene’s legs, although he didn’t really make a move to reclaim his limbs. Jaydon looked like he was nursing one hell of a migraine. A mug of coffee was in his white knuckled grasp. Other than turning his head to see what was the sudden shift of weight on the couch, Gene had stayed still in the pregnant silence. 

Jay sucked a stuttering breath, shifting slightly to look the other over. Eugene was almost scared of what might have been whirling in Jay’s head. Chances were, Jaydon was thinking the same thing. 

“What’s been going on with you?” Jay’s voice was weaker than his normal vibrato. Gene moved to sit up, finding his legs were sufficiently hostage under Jay’s thighs. 

“I’m sorry” he groaned, “I didn’t realize how much of an ass I had become.” 

“You know you can talk to me, right?” Jay borderline accused, finding his voice growing weaker by the end of it. Gene nodded, purring Jay’s name, wanting so badly to just wrap his arms around his mate. 

“Then what the fuck happened?” the red head burned his sight into the guilty little omega below him. Gene tugged for his legs to be freed once more- begrudgingly Jay released him. Nerves suddenly wracked him- second guessing everything. Jay watched intently as his mate pulled his shirt over his head.  
Gene couldn’t muster the courage to look Jay in the eye, so he just turned his back towards the silent man. He felt Jay’s fingertips grace his shoulder as if Gene would break. He was tracing the outline of the dark tape along his skin.

“You can take it off.” Gene squeaked in the silence. His husband soon began to pick at the edges of the glue, stunned into silence.

Eugene heard the crumple of plastic from behind him when Jay pulled the last of it free. 

“It’s bleeding.” He finally let his trembling lips form words. 

“I just need to clean it.” Gene shrugged, “I wanted it to be a surprize.” 

“It’s beautiful.” Jay pressed a kiss above the ink, his arms carefully wrapping around the thin torso. The blue and black ink held a flowing image of a bird. Folded up to the curve of Gene’s right shoulder: a bluejay for his Jaydon.

“Better than a leprechaun?” Gene smiled nervously. Jay just continued to press kisses into Gene’s skin. 

“I’m so sorry.” Jay groaned, burrowing his forehead into the nape of his husband. “I was such a jerk last night wasn’t I?”

“You’re okay though, aren’t you?” Gene let Jay snuggle against him- he missed the contact.

“Yeah, just had a few drinks with some buddies from RowlKin.” Jaydon explained, clearly dreading the look on Gene’s face.

“I stink of them, don’t I?” Jay barked a dry laugh. “I remember this one alpha prick tryin’ to hit on me- next thing I knew I had all of my friends rolling on me like I’m a sack of catnip.”

“I hope you don’t mind that I checked if you were raped.” Gene could feel his cheeks reddening from the confession- he was thankful Jay was buried on the back of his neck.

“I figured when I woke up naked.” Jay teased. “I wouldn’t expect any less.” 

The two sat in a comfortable silence. Almost humming happily as they leaned against each other. Jay’s fingertips began to wander the little dips in Gene’s back once again. Tingles flooding the omega from the gentle caress. 

“I really wanna touch it,” Jay smiled, pressing another kiss into the uninked shoulder.

“The tattoo?” Gene purred, nearly drunk from his omega. Jay hummed his answer, edging the limits of the tender flesh. 

“I need to shower, clean it up.” Gene announced. More to himself than anything- he was perfectly content where he was. He definitely didn’t want to move.

“May I join this time?” Jay whined lightly, smiling at his husband’s nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so unless I get a group rant that peoples want a "makeup sex" scene, I'm done with this little section of ranting. 
> 
> I have something a little different planned out for the next round and I'm excited to get to work on it! I do plan on returning to these guys soon, I just need the couple days off for work and I have the insufferable itch to work on the "new" idea of mine.
> 
> Take this as a peace offering: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dl3V560UUAEpeyd.jpg
> 
> Let me know the consensus in the comment section! We don't bite, and I'll answer all smartassness you guys can throw at me~
> 
> Otherwise I'll be back on Monday!


	32. Eugene : 7 : Fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo, there was a storm today, and it not only took out the internet- it took out half the town's electricity.  
> that's why this is super late and why it's super short.
> 
> tomorrow starts the new story, I'm not done with these two- but I, for some reason, am drawing a complete blank on what to do with them from this point. I'll ask you to be patient until I can start the next little chapter/ time jump tid bit before the pitchforks start coming up.
> 
> Here's for tomorrow's to be better.

The two were tangled together before they could even get through the threshold of the hallway. Gene kept pressing open mouthed kisses into his husband’s shoulder. Jaydon only half struggled away from the assault. He seemed to want to make it to somewhere cushioned before caving to the inevitable. 

Eugene had been plagued by the worst case scenario thoughts for too long, now he just wanted the sight of Jaydon under him. He let his hands trail over Jay’s thin slightly muscular form. As Jay turned away Gene only pulled his hips in closer- effectively trapping Jay’s butt against Gene’s crotch. 

“Where you goin’?” Gene purred into flesh, grasping for everywhere he could reach.

“God, you horndog.” Jay giggled, leaning back into the slightly taller omega. Gene continued his attentions along Jay’s neck and ear. 

“You still stink of alpha.” Gene growled playfully, “I wanna’ be sure they know who they’re going up against.” Jay hummed a half hearted question, cheekily guiding Gene’s splaying hand to his arousal. The larger omega took the bait and began to pet Jay through that thin fabric of boxers. The redhead melted against his omega, his one hand holding Gene’s wrist right where he wanted it while the other feathered that frizzy hair of his omega. 

They eventually made it to the shower- after flipping like pancakes during two ‘quickies’ and a very sticky cuddle session nap. They felt better as while in contact with each other. Like they were two puzzle pieces that just didn’t match up with anyone else. 

The two were still sitting so close that they were nearly ontop of eachother as they were eating breakfast. That was when the knocking on the front door had started. Both of the omega’s were still naked from the shower. One: they were not planning on going anywhere anyway. Two: they just really liked seeing each other naked. 

In unison, they groaned around the mouthfuls of sad oatmeal, glancing at each other as if telepathically debating if they should open the door. Jay’s cellphone rang from the bedroom. Neither got up. 

Gene’s cellphone started as soon as Jay’s had silenced. 

With a huff, Gene finally peeled himself away from the snuggle session of terrible food and boring television. 

Jovan stood in the doorway- his thumb on the call button ready to summon the techno chorus that was Jaydon’s ringtone once again. He smiled as if he was a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Quintin had huge eyes, tears ready to breach his long lashes. 

“What’s wrong?” Gene forgot that he was very naked, bolting into the hallway and scooping the tiny omega into his arms. Quin sobbed softly, clutching to Gene’s shoulders. Eugene’s sight hardened on the towering alpha. 

“He was worried ‘bout you two.” Jovan explained quickly, both of his hands up in surrender. “You didn’t answer the door last night- and he was a freaking wreck.” Gene shouldered past Jovan, the kitten of an omega already lighting up at the sight of Jaydon. Jay also bounced over to wrap his arms around those tiny shoulders.

Eugene didn’t even think how this must have affected Quin. He had talked to Jovan- but the little omega was never really far away. Jovan paced in, passively distracting himself with the soap opera that was in spanish instead of english. He only looked back towards where the omegas once were when Quin tugged on his arm. The other two had disappeared- hopefully to find some clothes. Quin bounced impatiently before leading himself around the little kitchen island. He began to busy himself with searching through the cabinets. 

Of course Jay emerged right when Quin was offering a cup of something steaming to his alpha. The omega visibly bit back a reaction. He knew Quintin had a habit of doing such a thing, but it still didn’t make it any easier to watch.

Little Quin would be easy to take advantage of. A part of Jay truly believed that Jovan was too stupid do figure out how to do such a thing. 

“I don’t know if you guys already ate. Buuuut, I took liberty of ordering Chinese food- it’ll be here in…” Jovan looked over his phone with a quirked brow. “Fifteen minutes.” Gene grunted that he didn’t care. Jay was just happy to get the taste of suicidal oatmeal out of his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to bed now- maybe its this freaking migraine. 
> 
> night night- see you all in the morning.


	33. Severian : 1 : New Toy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy hell. We've reached 1000 hits. That is utterly mind blowing and I thank you guys for your continued curiosity of my ramblings~
> 
> I know- last chapter was shit'e, but I hit a hard day. and I'm working though it. 
> 
> Okay: NEW STORY TIME  
> this one is going to be heavy on new warnings.  
> Severian isn't as nice as he was for Jaydon.   
> Geovanti is actually going to make an appearance  
> Dakota will never be the same for you, the side of him in "Paradox", if you've glanced through it, Is not who he is in his actual story- he's more like this.   
> Except for Sev I'm still toning down the other two's personalities.
> 
> so anyone sensitive to psychological themes, Gore-ish themes, or personality disorder type things I wouldn't hate you if you sit this one out. It won't be getting any better for Severian's story.
> 
> CONTEXT: Omega/Alpha dynamics are not well known in this universe- humans are normal humans. Severian is a human, so he is just a run of the mill dude. Omegas and Alphas won't be exactly traditional in a sense, but it will play a part in timeline.  
> Also Vampires.

This is almost too easy. Bodies laid in puddles around him, the small house now wreaked with alcohol and blood. One straggler seemed to still be alive, however. He was young. Kind’a pretty actually. To bad the wound would undoubtedly be the death of him. The specter was haunched over the man, studying the fine details of agony with a soft smile. 

To bad, he would have made an amazing pet. 

The man stilled after a few moments, losing all that was interesting about him. Technically, his job was done. The specter stood elegantly, letting his sight drink in the beautiful, morbid tapestry he was able to carve out this round. There was another part of his job… Kind’a. The part he conveniently forgot about on numerous occasions. This faction of the Snowlands was fucking ripe with human trafficking. The particular base he had just slaughtered was growing a reputation for having the utmost unusual wares. 

Severian’s Queen couldn’t have that, now could she?

Sev’s footsteps carried almost silently despite the thin layer of red lake that coated the floor. Unusual pets? Sev’s curiosity may just as well cause him to carry out his whole assignment this time. For once. 

The man considered the ajar doorway to the basement. Such a cliche place to keep hostages. Effective- until someone’s looking for the said hostages. Half of him hoped that this “rising faction” had at least two collective brain cells, the other half remembered he just killed every guard within a matter of moments. 

He toed the door, taking a good strong whiff of the damp air that seemed to want out of the dark abyss. No blood. No sweat of bodies. Just the dewey mushroom stink of old basements. His nose crinkled, not exactly looking forward to this. 

As a half hearted attempt- he tested the light switch at the top of the stairs. Of course, it was useless. The bulb could be blown out- or maybe the gang didn’t keep up with their electricity bill. Out in the middle of fucking nowhere. 

He had a small flashlight held between two fingers. A purple hilted blade ready in his right hand. Every time he’s been scolded that “Guns are so much more effective” the said gun handler has had a convenient gun related mishap. Some of which Severian didn’t even cause. Quiet, effective, and the best part- up close and personal. 

After sweeping the shockingly open area- he figured this was going to be a dud. Maybe this was just a decoy house? That would definitely explain the security system that leaves a lot to be desired. 

Perhaps they actually had two collective brain cells. Severian took the steps two at a time as he emerged back into what was once someone’s kitchen. He glided around the bodies, eyeing the upper floor banister. There. Smeared on the wall of upstairs- was that blood?

Did a bastard hide up there?

A pang of threatened pride caused the assassin to scowl- nearly sprinting up the wooden stairs. Most of the doors were closed upstairs. Well… Three of the four doors, one that was open was clearly a bathroom. His focus narrowed on the doorway closest the the smear. Maybe they kept their goods upstairs. Maybe some coward punk decided to abandon the fight. 

Sev kicked the door in, wood splintering under the pressure. In the most anticlimactic fashion, he found himself clearing a room full of tarp covered boxes. The stink of body sweat and urine was strong in this room, however. Something the rest of the house definitely did not have. 

He tipped the edges of the tarp up once more, cardboard looking up at him. Eventually he narrowed the source of the stink to the pile under that blue cheap fucker called tarp. He threw it off of the stack, letting it crumple to the floor wherever it may fall. 

One by one he opened the boxes: finding dead bodies in each one. The stink began to turn festering. Enough so that Severian had almost decided to fuck it and leave. 

A metal cage was concealed within the cardboard. A man was hunched on all fours, blond matted hair, yellow piercing eyes, a golden mask hugging is face from ear to ear, nose to chin. 

So this is who they’re trying to hide. 

Severian had a black silk mask of his own, his eyes were concealed with black sclera contacts. His hair was tucked under in a formfit cap just under his hood. As long as he doesn’t talk- this man would have no idea who he is. He wouldn’t be able to identify him later on.

He would make the most perfect pet. 

Severian was sitting in the “command center” as he called it, texting his Queen hearts and silly faces. The assignment went well. He even got a little bonus out of it. Zen let him keep the toy- as long as he doesn’t escape alive. That would tie her in with the trafficking business- and we couldn’t have the Queen of Kaji be linked to such an unsavory field. That wouldn’t be fun for anyone involved. 

Sev let himself watch the monitor of his new toy. He had a cellar he used to break them in. Well, he personally didn’t actually do anything. Sev would wait until it’s a mumbling, broken spec on the floor. Then step in as the hero. Instant trust and gratification- it’s like… Stockholm Syndrome for the impatient.

Severian smiled with approval as he watched Seth hose his new toy off. At least he knows the boy won’t stink to high heaven the next time he walks in to ‘save him’. Passively, Sev found his fingers splaying in his own violet hair. He really should get a haircut soon- it’s starting to resemble a frizzy mop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with me~
> 
> Feel free to rant in the comments: I answer them all and forever love you for your feedback~


	34. Severian : 2 : Bored

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. yeah. I finished this before anyone had the chance to react to the previous chapter- for all I know this is some self indulgent idiocy.
> 
> If you are here- I hope you enjoy. This isn't going to be a long storyline, I don't think. But I wanted to test the waters with some of my more unstable babies.
> 
> oh, and I try to imply some accents. so if you see a word with a ' at the start of it. chances are I typoed it to line up with the sounds that someone with a particular accent would do.
> 
> like if i did mine, 'id be a 'liddle like 'dis. 'cause fricken Chicago 'apparhenly hates "t's"
> 
> I don't mean anything bad by it- I just acknowledge that not everyone talks the same.

Two days since he’s brought his newest toy into his little playroom. Severian watched passively as he munched away at a bag of peanuts. Seth was in the room with the blond giving him the general frustration inducing beating. 

Severian was almost disappointed at how passive this boy was. He took every blow without as much as a whimper. He laid on his side in the cramped space until Seth’s dominating voice commanded him to stand. Which he did- without even the slightest wince of pain. The assassin found himself huffing with frustration.

Only day two. He tried to convince himself. They break- they always do. Even the god fucking stubborn ones. It’s going to be all the more delicious when this one finally snaps. He stood somewhat stiff from sleeping in the hideout house instead of his own bed. That kink in his neck was going to be a bitch to work out. 

“Enjoy ‘ze show?” Seth questioned as he came downstairs. 

“He’s not going to make this easy.” Severian grumbled, stuffing another palm full of peanuts into his mouth.

“Should we feed him?” Seth gestured towards the ceiling- just above them was the padded cell.

“Nah,” Sev decided quickly. “If he has enough energy to be boring- he doesn’t need a meal.” The lumbering man shrugged his indifference. 

“Heard from Zen?” Seth eventually questioned as he flopped down on the abused yet functioning couch. 

“No assignments as of yet.” Sev almost sounded disappointed. “She has asked for hand-me-downs however. Apparently our Queen is intrigued by our little find.” 

“Sounds like her.” Seth shrugged again. Bald head, dark skin, dark eyes: Seth was a beast straight from Egypt. One that Zen had assigned to Severian personally. It seemed that she had concerns over how flamboyantly her little purple assassin carried himself. 

Wasn’t his fault he was drop dead gorgeous. 

After four days of no interesting happenings, Sev announced that he was going home. Seth promised that he would continue to try to break the boy, but Sev waved it off.

“Let’s leave him for a few days.” He smiled at his own plan. “I know you are tired too- and that couch is not doing those age lines of yours any favors, Dearest.” Seth almost growled at the remark, he didn’t nearly care about his appearance as much as he should. Clearly he needed Severian to step it up for him.

“In ‘zis line of work, I am going to be long dead before age even ‘blays a factor.” The scowling man threw a hand in the air- gesturing to all of everything around them. 

“Lookin’ out for you because I love you.’.” Sev mocked the other lightly before lifting his keyring. 

One week, the boy was still alive even though he hasn’t eaten a thing since he’s been balled up in that shit’e hole. Not only alive: he didn’t even seem bothered by it. Severian decided to stay home until things changed. Seth would only go check on him every few days- give him a good hosing off, bat him around like a cat for a while. Seth was such a good pet- how did Severian ever get so lucky?

“Come into the office.” blinked up on Severian’s phone screen one morning. He couldn’t help the childish grin that graced his features as he flitted around the room looking for halfway decent clothing. 

His Queen had a job for him. 

Her irises were unreactive and red due to contacts, her hair was painted black today. Her skin was uneven shades of pale from burns she had received a lifetime ago. Her appearance changed so frequently- fluctuating between outrageous to inconspicuous. The ever changing queen for a nation of so much diversity.

It was the perfect cover. 

“There's a man called Finn Drovers.” she snarled, holding up a picture of some blond haired, bloodshot eyed drug dealer. Drug dealer? He looked more like a junkie. Didn’t he know the first rule of dealing- don’t do the drug you deal.

“He’s been running a brothel in the city- which sure, we have a few. But he’s been getting his workers from… unapproved sources.” She spoke carefully, sliding the paper closer for her assassin’s purple eyes to commit the finer details to memory.

“Not from us.” He clarified with a head tilt. He earned a stiff nod.

“No one would really cry all that much if something were to happen to him.” She waved, “Pity- that building of his is no where near up to code.”

“Tattoo on his neck, looks like a ram’s head.” Severian lifted the photo to the light for a better view. 

“That’s what I thought.” she smiled at the childish giddiness that was growing in Severian’s eyes.

“What of his whores?” Sev looked cautiously optimistic.

“They’ll look for work elsewhere. Chances are- with us.” the joy depleted from her assassin.

“Can’t even play with one?” he whined. “You know I serve you well, my Queen, I’ll even bring you the best of the crop.”

“Only if you get caught- that doesn’t mean get careless.” 

That night, because he couldn’t quite contain his enthusiasm, Severian made the trip into the city. He was dressed like a perfect patron. He was greeted by catcalls and the scent of artificial vapes. His nose crinkled, he wanted to take his knife to his eardrums just to spare himself from the music. Tasteless bastard, to say the fucking least. 

“Where’s your manager?” Severian managed to sound as disgruntled as anyone else. The apprehension of the kill was eating away at his acting skills.

“Look, I don’t care how many people you ask- Pain doesn’t work here anymore.” the bartender looked legitimately pissed off. “Can I offer you a drink, maybe a complementary ‘Palmer from one of our highest in demand entertainers.” Well that was easy. Severian had a whole spiel detailing why he was pissed off, every detail and names from his digging on the BlackJack’s website and conversations he’s over heard.

The bartender had done the job for him instead. 

“Manager.” Sev spat, “Now.” The clearly ‘done with this shit’ worker huffed and spoke into a hidden phone receiver. After a little spat between him and whoever had the misfortune to pick up, the worker looked back to Severian.

“Drovers will be down in a moment.” 

Even better.


	35. Severian : 3 : Assignment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back~  
> hopefully I haven't scared everyone away. Here's the next round of my Dear little Severian. This is just setting up what kind of person Sev is. the other two are a little... intense. 
> 
> he would'a ended up in the background.

Severian nodded appreciatively to the alreadys fleeing back of the bartender. It didn’t take too long for the man of the hour to make his way down to the bartop. He smiled artificially, narrowing his blown eyes the best he could. 

“What can I do for you?” he even stank of alcohol. Severain cracked his jaw, making a show of being pissed.

“I asked for the manager. Not some drunk-ass whore.” that worked, Oh, that worked wonders. Finn’s face turned an instant shade of lipstick. Sev had to force himself to not smirk- he would be dragged out to the back soon enough. A fight gone wrong? A drunken manager dead behind his business. The last the workers saw- he was dragging a patron out the door.

A fight gone wrong. 

“Listen good, you shit. I am Finn Drovers- the owner of this fucking place. So if you have a problem-” He trailed off in a growl as Sev spit in his encroaching face. 

“Nice act, whore.” Sev winked, “Now be a good little slut- and run off an’ fetch your pimp for me.” He waved the blond off as if he was a mere puppy.

Fetch.

Finn’s hands pulled abruptly at Severian’s collar, hauling him up from the barstool. He snarled almost ininteligible, spitle flying as his already bloodshot eyes flashed redder in rage. Severian had to stop himself from giggling.

“Oh, Daddy, hit me harder.” the whine purred from the assassin- the giggle no longer containable. Finn sucked a breath- Sev was pretty convinced he was about to pull a ‘Banner’ and turn into a green rage baby.

It was no surprise to Sev when he was thrown into the claustrophobic alleyway, if nothing else, he was relieved. Finn closed the door behind him- stalking the deceivingly lithe man alone. Plans rarely go this well. He knew Zen wanted him to incorporate the questionable structure of the building somehow. Find a way to make it look like a total accident. This will work- the workers didn’t seem to scurry around the back room very often. He would probably stage something after his fun.

Finn moved clumsily, Severian easily maneuvered around him to tap his shoulder just right. The stout man fell ungracefully in the cluttered alley. 

“ ‘Tis too bad really.” Sev almost sang, “This is my favorite part.” Finn shoved himself up off the garbage pile he had fallen onto. His expression was a delicious blend of confusion and blind rage. 

“You little shit.” he bolted forward. Sev’s movement was nearly undetected. The knife didn’t even have time to be stained by the blood it was drawing. The blond grasped at his face. His voice clearly stuck in his throat.

The slit would have been a sexy scar if he would be given the chance to heal. Too drunk, too drugged: this wasn’t Severian’s type. 

“Nothin’ personal, Babe.” the assassin’s jaw popped again, his sight finally hardening. “ ‘Twas fun, but I have a job to carry out.” The one that was once called ‘Drovers’ was dead before Severian’s words could fully register. Severian took a moment longer to support the dying weight against his shoulder, just relishing in the warmth that was the man’s blood running down the length of his forearm. He almost wanted to lick it. His thoughts grew hazed as his assignment slouched to the dirt. 

Only then did he allow himself to acknowledge how painfully hard he had gotten. He played with the still warm fluid between his fingertips, his vaguely clean palm rubbing brazenly over his arousal. If only his Queen would give him ‘homework’ more often, instead of these nearly insufferable social outings. He knelt by the body, gazing over the subtle details of pain and confusion smooth from his paling face. Shame, if only Sev had worked on his drawing skills earlier in life, he would have been able to capture the moment.

He was only half tempted to tug out his cellphone. That would lead to incriminating evidence. Which would lead back to his Queen. Then Zen would be on his ass again.

Too much trouble. So instead he just basked in the moment while it lasted before shuking off his thin jacket and dropping it in the empty trash bin. Blood had completely soaked the sleeve, so he couldn’t walk around with it on anymore. The thing was an ugly bastard anyway- Sev almost enjoyed the little woosh of the match he flicked into the otherwise empty metal container. His knife fit nicely back in his knee high boot. 

He should head back. Give Zen a call. Maybe pick up something to eat along the way? Too bad he couldn’t bring home a pet. 

Wait.

He has a pet at home. Completely forgot about it. How long had it been since he’s opened that wine cellar? His steps came a touch quicker, his head was held a touch higher- he really wanted to see if that little toy was still alive. If he was. 

God, he was going to be a delicious little treat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for putting up with my rambling!
> 
> feel free to comment~ Even if it's just flipping me off- I answer all of them~


	36. Severian : 4 : Project

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting to wonder for my own sanity- this will be the last of pure Severian. If nothing else, for my own mindset. I love this character for how twisted he is, and how oblivious he seems of the pain around him. He is not a healthy person, by far. He is fiction: I assure you.

Severian twirled in his own hallway. The text was sent to Zen as soon as he made it to his driveway. Walking was a pain- but it was for the best. What was it? Midnight?

“Pizza just arrived, forgot to tip the delivery :( hope they don’t hate me now.” he read over his own words, noting that Zen had already read the message.

“They’ll forget soon enough.” she answered. Oh, she was happy. He had done a good job, and now his Queen was happy with him. He found himself giggling again. Dropping the phone to his bed his attention turning to the little area rug of his room.

Just under it was a wine cellar. Well… It was designed like a wine cellar- or maybe a root cellar? A place to hide from tornados…

At least that would be the excuse should his house ever be searched. Assuming he didn’t take out the officers first. He tossed the rug to the side with a foot quiet effortlessly. The latch was a simple lock- but still impossible to tamper with from the inside. 

Pitch black, utter darkness. Goosebumps coated his arms as he felt the cooler air rush up at him. It had been a week- maybe just a few days longer- since he has opened the hatch to reveal the stuttering, lithe form at the bottom of the pit. 

He was alive, barely. Food. Oh, of course, Severian would be able to feed the child back from the brink. Hold his lulling head up and coax him to take another life saving bite.

Maybe force him a little like Sev had to the last time. That’ll be fun. 

Severian dropped into the cellar, purring happily to the dazed man. Sev tucked the trembling body under his chin almost lovingly, cooing softly as he climbed the ladder out. 

First off, the guy freaking stank. The pungent reminder of sweat, stress, and piss began to taint the whole room. Severian dropped the man in the shower, turning the spray onto something that wouldn’t hurt. 

“Clean.” He barked, dropping a bar of soap with a thud. The man forced his limbs to take his weight. Severian purred a praise as he watched the under-groomed skeleton fumble over the slippery bar. He seemed to be ready for Zen. Soon at least. He was obedient- his body had no fight left. She could build him up to her cold heart’s content. Petty Severian almost killed such a perfect little present.

Once Sev finished with preparing food for both himself and his project he returned to the bathroom to find the shaggy man out of the shower, dried, but laying on his side in the middle of the floor. The whole ordeal seemed to take every last ounce of energy he could muster.

He needed a shave. The man had long hair, like Zen liked, but his face was just as scruffy. He looked a lot younger- more vulnerable with a naked little baby face. That would definitely melt Zen’s heart- maybe she would even reward Severian with a special kind of assignment. The assassin hummed a tone passively to himself as he arranged the man up onto the countertop. 

As long as the man didn’t pass out- this would be easy enough to do. 

“One way or another, you are eating.” Severian’s voice was cut sharp with annoyance and thin patience. The man’s eyes had glazed over, panic clear in his expression. He’s behaved this way ever since Sev had to punish him for trying to escape. A mouthful of worms seemed to have done the trick.

That was a putrid mess to clean- which Severian promptly passed the task off onto the man. Ever since, this little fuck just never seemed to have the will to eat. 

Perhaps he was having a hunger strike? Maybe this was his way of committing suicide? The lines up and down his arms were not lost to that purple sadistic gaze. His nails were removed a month or so into his stay here. He had tried to gouge at Severian- the kitten needed to be declawed. The lines along his arms now are from repetitive movement: nerves or some shite’.

Zen could have fun trying to pick this one apart. 

“Oatmeal or piss. Pick one.” Sev snarled. Taking a fistful of the sad mush that was plain oatmeal, Severian smeared it against the man’s refusing lips. He choked as the grains clogged his nose, infiltrated his trachea. 

“Eat.” Sev stood with a pinning gaze before turning for his own meal. It wasn’t anything too fancy- but still something he’s been craving all day, a toasted peanut butter and jelly. To the sadist’s approval, the man started to slowly eat the meal: all while swallowing around gags and trembling with glassy eyes.

“Isn’t there a very special birthday coming up?” Sev tapped out on his phone, smiling himself silly. The tense man that had the misfortune of sharing the same room tried desperately to not notice the glint in those violet eyes. 

“What did you do?” Zen’s response was quick. With that, he tilted the view of the phone snapping a photo of his project.

“I have someone who’s ready to meet you.” 

Tomorrow, Severian was going to bring the man to a safe house. From there, Lance was going to clean the man up further before delivering him to Zen’s estate. The little present didn’t like going back into the hole. He never does. So Sev really didn’t think much of dropping the boy in and slamming the door shut before he had even hit the ground.

A scream echoed this time. Maybe he landed wrong? Maybe the food had given him strength? Severian had half a mind of dropping down there and slapping him back into silence if he didn’t shut up soon though. He wasn’t -per-say- screaming anymore. He was loud enough for the ever alert assassin to hear his constant whimpering.

One more night- he had already promised his Queen a present. He definitely didn’t want to disappoint by killing him out of a rage.

“The nut finally cracked.” Seth sent him the message around six in the morning. Seth was supposed to check on the golden baby, when he did, something had finally snapped in the stubborn mule’s head. 

“Errands.” Sev quickly texted back, “Be there around noon?” that sounded good enough to him. Gives him time to plan out everything- fine tune the little details that will sell this whole thing.

It had really worked on the soon to be previous project. He came so willingly- lived and obeyed so mindlessly. Until he realized that he wasn’t ever leaving the premises. That was when the trouble started. That’s how they end up in the hole.

At least Severian won’t have to shoot his previous project in the head to make room for the newest one. Severian knew he had a problem using guns out in the field- but here- it put the projects on edge so much better. The splatter on the back walls always served as a perfect reminder of who was in charge. Knives just didn’t leave the same kind of abstract art.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for putting up with my ramblings!  
> feel free to leave comments, rants and rages are welcomed~
> 
>  
> 
> After this, enter Dakota.


	37. Severian : 5 : Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half way through. and I didn't even plan it to be this even
> 
> I know these updates are a lot shorter than the previous: but can we really handle huge updates of these guys at one time? Atleast I don't think I can sanely write in character for as long as it takes to do a 4/7 page update. so 2.5-3 pages it is.
> 
> IM SORRY, I DIDN'T REALIZE I DIDN'T PUBLISH THE CHAPTER TODAY.  
> I'm still here- I've just been getting ahead a little bit in typing, and apparently I got a little too comfortable.

The present didn’t react as quickly that morning. Severian barked down at him, not wanting to dirty his nice clothing he was going to wear for the day. The man only sobbed as a useless lump on the floor. The assassin didn’t have time for this crap- he had to get going before Lance started asking questions.

He asks questions- the safe house gets moved, it quickly becomes a pain in the ass. So Severian demanded one last time, making sure his steps were loud enough for the man to hear. He was going towards his gun case. If it got the punk up the ladder- Sev would do anything.

When Severian returned the man had a white knuckled hand on a rung of the ladder. His shoulders heaved, his body trembled in what Severian was starting to suspect as a seizure. 

His right arm was hanging uselessly against his chest. The white of bone prodding through flesh. Of course the bastard would break his arm. Severian found himself huffing in a frustration. He’s never really gifted a broken toy before. Maybe Zen would find it interesting? The lavender clad sadist really didn’t have time to pray- he had to load up the little fuck and get going. Sev had to be clear across the district by noon. 

Severian pulled up to a snow covered squat cabin. The man was in the trunk, clearly having a panic attack. Sev never really bothered to get his name- the little project was a spur of the moment thing. Found him in a dumpster nearly beaten to death- it was like black friday for the twisted. 

Sev had half a mind to tell him that he would be better off here- he’s going somewhere that has people that actually cares if he’s still breathing. Zen had a short attention span, however. He would have to straighten up real quick if he wanted to stay useful.

Lance met Severian half way, the bear of a man taking the hostage almost gently. He lifted the thin frame over his shoulder, carrying him more like a sack of potatoes than a skilled fireman. Promptly Sev pressed himself back into the driver seat and pulled away. He had much more interesting things on the agenda for today. 

Seth nodded his greeting to the bouncing assassin. Severian’s smile split his face as he looked over the night vision cameras of his little place of command. There, in the corner of the room, the blond haired man was pulling at the roots of his locks. Rocking back and forth with is knees pressed to his chest.

“He’s been tryin’ to get ‘zat mask off as well.” Seth’s vibrating voice reported, a large hand moving to a point of view that confirmed that the man had his nails digging into the grooves of the locking mechanism. “Hasn’t eaten or drank since you found him. Fuck knows how long before ‘zat.” Sev could only nod and giggle as he offered a short bout of applause for his assistant.

“I go in first?” Seth raised a brow. “Like last time?” Severian nodded, studying the little video screen once more. He was about to take on a whole new project. This one is gorgeous. He would make a beautiful gift for the Queen.

Seth disappeared up the stairs. Severian stepped away from the monitors, impatiently bouncing from foot to foot in the hall. He didn’t like to watch right before the act. The surprise always brought out a more realistic reaction. This golden boy was a hard nut to crack- he would likely see through the whole thing if Sev slipped up even a little. 

Ten minutes pass, Severian is at the metal door. He shakes out his limbs once more just to ready himself before grasping the handle and fixing his face into a mask that would fit one of his assignments.

“Hands where I can see them!” He screams, his voice bouncing off the tight walls. Every drop of his blood freezes at the sight.

Surprise always bring out the most realistic reactions.

Seth is sprawled in the cramped space. Blood stinks up the claustrophobic cubicle as the blond man is hunched over the much larger man’s corpse. 

Eating.

Severian had just sent his assistant into a cell with a starving cannibal. Oh, Zen is going to be pissed about this. The blond’s gold eyes shine unnaturally in the minimal light. Blood coat his bare, oddly hairless, chin his hands are soaked up to his elbows. Seth is now missing a good portion of his chest- his throat had been torn out.

“If you’re here to save me.” the man speaks so calmly it causes the assassin to flinch. “I highly suggest you allow me to finish my meal.” Without waiting for a response, he bends slightly lower to tug at a portion of flesh before lifting it to his jagged teeth. 

A cannibal? A zombie? Did he have a mental break? Should Severian should just shoot the thing in the head and not even risk it. But he finds himself frozen, standing there as he watches a man that would have called him ‘friend’ be eaten. Seth is very dead- stopping the creature now would do nothing. Perhaps the thing does think Severian is saving him.

What if he could use such… tastes, on an assignment. A whole new level of psychological torture. Severian lowered the gun and fought to contain his giggling. That would be amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for putting up with my rambles~
> 
> Feel free to rant in the comments: all comments are forever loved~


	38. Severian : 6 : Dakota

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back~

“So what are you called?” Severian questioned as he pulled out of the safe house. The blond man was sat in the back seat- looking only mildly concerned about his situation. He seemed more focused on putting the gold-metal plate mask back on than anything. Severian watched him passively in the rearview mirror. The stranger grunted a few times as the car bounced onto the main road, but he seemed to know how to handle the complex looking mechanism that sat just under his left ear.

“Humans called me Dakota.” he spoke plainly, just a report. His eyes were very aware however, almost hawk like… no. Wolf like in their intensity. Blond hair, yellow eyes, gold mask, milk skin: his features were all but washed out on the monotone palate he was painted with. He could be beautiful if he wore makeup, Severian found himself deciding. 

“Dakota it is?” Severian shrugged, not really wanting to get into the details of someone he just witnessed cannibalizing the exact man that was assigned to protect him. He could totally wrestle the skinny bastard into the cellar if he throws a fit. Seth just dropped his guard for a moment too long.

“The car smells of blood, Officer.” Dakota’s voice hitched in knowing skepticism. Severian didn’t even flinch at blatant way he had been found out. 

“I help you, you help me.” Severian turned onto a main highway- quickly merging with the flow of the outbound from the city.

“Sorry for killing your…” Dakota trailed, looking to Sev to finish the sentence. So he knew a lot more than he was letting on.

“Handler.” Sev decided it was only half a lie. “You earn one, when your body count is as high as mine.” he found himself gloating. It was so easy to do, I mean. This is Motherfucking Severian the Lavender Assassin we’re talking about here. 

“Handler?” He wasn’t quite buying it.

“I’ve already killed three on my own-” okay one, but he threatened the Queen, “it was only a matter of time before I offed that lump of dumb too.” Dakota grunted a disregarding ‘whatever.’ 

“If you honestly think you will be keeping me as a pet.” Dakota’s jaw cracked as he stretched his kinked back, “Not even.” Oh, honey. Severian wanted to purr so badly. The challenge was there and ready to be ravaged. He would most definitely have this golden baby as a pet. 

“I help you, you help me.” Sev repeated as if that held all the answers to the world’s problems.

Dakota wasn’t exactly taking in the surroundings as Severian initially thought he was going to. He just sat with is head lowered, his boney fingers folded delicately in his lap. Severian drove the iced road that lead up to the nearly quarter mile driveway of his house. 

Doesn’t matter how big or bad this golden toy was- he wasn’t going to escape this ice prison: by the time it thaws- Severian’s going to have the most well behaved wolf. 

Zen might forgive him for the death of Seth. 

Dakota stood in the center of the house, eying over the layout slowly. Severian merely squatted by the front door to remove his snow encrusted boots before even more mud got tracked into the immaculate home. 

“Smells like blood.” Dakota announced while returning his gaze to the purple man. 

“Sure the scent isn’t in that mask with you?” Sev growled, looking over the path that skeleton pain in the ass fumbled over. Yeah- some blood got smeared on the wall. Fuck, that’s going to stain the light tone to something stubbornly pink. Severian entertained the thought of just painting all of his walls a deep red so that he wouldn’t have to deal with that any longer. Dark colors would close up the space just too much. 

Dakota’s sight narrowed on Severian, the gaze hardening at the insinuation that his senses were wrong. Sev seemed oblivious to such a thing as he paced his way to the kitchen.

“You will be staying here.” Severian started explaining with is back turned. Dakota minutely tilted his head at the sound.

“Stay here, do whatever chore I assign you.” Sev purred something under his breath before taking the cool metal between his fingers. “Do the work right- and you won’t be sleeping under the floors. Understand?” Sev had the handgun held out at an arm’s length. The sight fixed right to Dakota’s head. Dakota let out what might have been a chuckle as he moved closer to the sweetly smiling madman. 

“You want me alive.” Dakota blatantly accused, tilting his forehead against the point of the muzzle. “You won’t shoot me just yet.” 

“Yet.” Sev clarified. “I don’t have patience for brats.” Dakota’s jaw clicked again, his teeth groaning as he ground them together.

“As I don’t have time for unworthy ‘Masters’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for puttin up with my rants:  
>  feel free to rage in the comments, no need to go insane alone~


	39. Severian : 7 : Convenience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my human ninjas~
> 
> I'm doing a lot of research into topics I never thought I would be researching. Whether or not it translates to a better writing has yet to be seen.

Dakota hadn’t given Severian any reason to not trust him roaming around the house. The air was especially fucking cold today- so the chance of his making a run for it, while naked, was slim to dead. So he focused solely on facing Zen. 

She looked painfully plain today. He couldn’t bring himself to purr a half hearted compliment to the mousy brown locks or the purposely painted dark circles under her eyes. She was an average woman at best for today- why she does this to herself while she could easily win the title of miss universe just doesn’t register for Severian. 

Her grey eyes followed him around the room as he moved to pour her a glass of liquor instead. Contacts? He thinks. He doesn’t actually know what her natural eye color is- so chances are she was wearing another set of contacts.

“What happen?” her voice was clipped, she fully ignored the assassin’s offer of vodka. He set it on the table before her choosing to paint himself with his signature smile of innocents.

“The brat broke his arm when I put him in the cellar.” Severian shrugged, “I swear- he’s always been more trouble than it was worth.”

“You know what I meant.” She almost slipped in a swear, Sev can see it from the way her mouth creases just a touch more into a snarl. 

“Golden baby ate Seth.” the man shrugged. “He dropped his guard, and paid for it.” Zen shifted her shoulders, her lips twitching in indication of how to respond to such a statement. Eventually she released a strained hiss, lifted the glass of vodka, and downed it.

“Turns out his name is Dakota.” Severian started, “He seems obedient enough- still a lot of work to be done though.”

“Obedient enough.” She snorted, sucking a steading breath before leaning back on her chair. “He fu-... he ate one of the only men with enough everything to contain you. I get it, you narcissistic shit. You think your on top of everything, but I can not afford to lost two assets in one f-fucking week.”

“You doubt my fabulousness.” Sev feigned hurt, his hand splaying through his long purple locks in a show of a damsel in distress. 

“I don’t doubt your fag-ness but that’s not the point.” Zen snapped, Severian’s expression hardened within a matter of seconds as he visibly bit his tongue. “Go put a bullet in Dakota’s head. He’s too dangerous and unstable to keep alive.” Zen lifted the empty glass towards the assassin, signalling him to go get her another drink. “After I have proof of him being dead, I have another assignment for you.”

“I can’t have the assignment now? You’re going to make me drive home only to drive all the way back here?” Sev whined, the decanter of deceptively clear liquid held between deceptively elegant hands.

“You won’t kill him otherwise.” She spoke without even missing a beat. Severian fit his teeth together, pretending to need more attention than he actually did to pour a drink. She was right- he really wanted Dakota as a pet. Even if it meant hiding it from Zen. 

Severian was still pouting by the time he walked in his front door. Things felt off in the house. Like someone had moved a single thing- told him they had moved something, then left him to figure out what it was. He stood in the threshold for a moment, his senses drinking in the minute hints he could gather from the surrounding rooms. 

He stalked to the end of the short entryway. The main room opening up around him. On the floor- cradled by towels was a body. The man didn’t seem to have died easily nor quickly. Bruises blotched his skin irregularly and dark. Red lines of what Sev could only expect to be claws vices his form near every line of a major artery. Dakota was haunched over the prone figure. Still naked, but now painted with mud, a couple stray bruises, and blood that had smeared onto him from his undoubted hunt. His golden eyes silently studying the dead flesh as if he was a simple woman with a sunday -deciding where to start.

“Too cold outside to eat.” He explained as his nails worked the puzzle like gear that held his mask on. 

“Wait.” Severian paced the length of the hallway, retrieving a revolver from a faux book. He had six guns- Dakota knows where two of them are now. He’s going to have to change that. Dakota passively watched the taller man kick his meal over onto his stomach- a patch of darker, mousier blond hair covered most of the man’s testosterone fueled features. 

With a smile- Severian pulled the trigger. 

Once he snapped a picture, he giggled happily to himself as he waved for Dakota to continue. He barely even cared of how the man had ended up dead and in his living room. A backpack was thrown against a wall, the fabric of it utterly ruined. Perhaps it’s just a case of a photographer wandering too close to Severian’s house?  
Maybe the man worked for that other bitch- the leader of where he had found Dakota. Either way, He was very dead now- stopping Dakota would mean nothing.

“Just clean up when you’re done.” Severian almost sang. “There are wolves in these woods.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosity of my ramblings~
> 
> I know most of you all are a silent type: but I still hold myself accountable to you guys. Thank you for the motivation and the little boost of "yeah, this is a thing that may be a bigger thing one day"
> 
> If you ever want to delve into a research of the macabre: here are some of the topics/syndromes that I'm currently researching for these boys.
> 
> Narcissistic Personality Disorder (inflated self image: lack of empathy: etc)  
> Cotard Delusion (belief that one is already dead)  
> Renfield's Syndrome (psychological term for a spectrum of vampire)  
> Haematophilia (simply said: blood kink)  
> Erotophonophilia (simply said: murder kink, not exactly like necrophilia)


	40. Severian : 8 : Abductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if using Severian to take care of pains in the butts from other stories is the greatest method- but it's a twisted way of not letting them get away with messing with our babies. 
> 
> Severian's a good boy, he just has some issues.

Severian was sat, perched like a homeless man on the side of a dingy road. Begrudgingly he had dressed in the saggy, nasty as hell clothes that his Queen had given him. There was someone lifting civilians off of the streets: most of which were never seen again. 

Unrest among the people wouldn’t sit well with the voting booth- she needed him to fix this problem before she lost her place in office. If the Queen lost her throne- he would lose his time to play. Severian couldn’t have that.

According to her ties in the police force, this is around the time the abductions take place. Normally the unsub goes for unsuspecting- middle to higher class individuals. 

It would be too suspicious if a high roller like Severian was pacing back and forth on a block. A mumbling, stumbling hobo would be disregarded. He fought to not scratch at the knots that had been woven into his hair. They itched like they had the bugs he was made to look, instead he tapped neurotically on his thigh. A sign of insanity for everyone around- but he was taking inventory of his weapons: two blades, one on each thigh. He tried to not be hyper aware of the small gun that was holster against his chest. 

“Just a small one” she had explained, “Just in case. This guy is use to handling struggling full grown men. If it goes sideways- shoot him, don’t die because of stubbornness.”

This would be easier if Severian had a clue of what this assignment looked like. If they knew that- he wouldn’t have been needed. He shrugged it as a trade off. Stumbling the first few steps from where his leg had fallen asleep. Staying here seemed to be a dud- might as well look around a little. 

The city was practically empty. Weird to see- but people might be taking the warnings from the officials seriously for once. The whole thing was planned out and ready to be covered. 

An unnamed homeless bystander steps in when he notices the abduction taking place. Accidentally killing the perpetrator in the process. Ultimately solving the case and handing out justice in one fell swoop. 

A small cluster of people were partying farther down the road. Severian found himself edging the group, trying to see if they fit the profile of who his assignment would be interested in. Sev tucked himself just inside an alleyway. 

Some of the partiers looked like halfway decent people- they were just out with a projector, watching the football game. The assassin did his best to ignore the cold that was seeping into his bones. He was quickly growing impatient a this task. Just wanting to spill some blood and run home for a hot shower.

Two men walked with their heads slightly down. They didn’t seem to notice, or they just didn’t care, about Severian’s presence as they stopped just inside the alleyway. Just a few feet from Severian’s reach. His purple eyes watched bemusedly as the two seemed to look over the partying group just as the assassin just had. 

One pointed toward a particularly lithe college student. He was laughing with a bottle of some shit beer in his grasp. Clearly wasted. The two didn’t speak english- but they seemed to agree with each other, both of them not lifting their eyes off of the man. 

Now, the question is- should Severian kill them now, or wait till later? Kill them now- he gets to go home sooner. Warm up and un-nasty himself sooner. Wait until they make a move: he pleases his Queen. She’s already slightly irked because of Seth’s stupidity. Maybe he shouldn’t press his luck any farther. 

The older man slipped further back into the alleyway. The younger straightened his clothes before moving to another vantage point. Where they really going to wait for their choice to separate himself from the group?

God, this was going to be a long night. 

After about twenty minutes of mentally bashing his head on the wall behind him, fate had mercy in the form of the assignment’s target needing to pee. He moved away from the crowd, slipping unnoticed to a nearby alleyway.

Severian was impressed by the lack of noise the initial assault resulted. The younger of the two had their new toy in his large hands. Tape was already fixed over the man’s mouth, his throat was being threatened by a knife. Not a single partier noticed the two stumble across the street to Severian’s alley. Even through the drunken haze, the hostage had enough sense to struggle like hell. He managed to dig a heel into the foot of the elder. That only earned him a hard smack with the side of a glock. 

Finally. Severian stood, cracking his neck from the stiffness of being so still for so long. All three noticed him all at once. The two growled something, the elder’s gun leveled on Severian. The assassin only smiled, faking surrender with his hands as his feet stepped just a little more away from the wall. 

What ever joy he could have reaped from this was dampened by icy cold. At this point, he just wanted out. As the two seemed to be torn on what to do about Severian’s existence, Sev dipped his hands into the cut out pockets of his over-sized pants. 

He lunged forward before they could bark for him to back off, the younger was struck first, a nice clean slit that nearly opened half of his throat. The elder fell to the ground first. Severian turned on an ankle and was able to slip his blade into the delicious little kiss of cartilage between the skull and the spine. The man fell like a sack of potatoes as his son grasped at his throat with soundless wheezing attempts at screams.

Sev briefly regarded the shaking hostage, resorting to physically lifting and shoving the man out of the alley and into the main street. He came to life after that- dashing towards his finally concerned ‘friends’.

Thankfully Severian has his car, thankfully the said car has heat. He didn’t even get to enjoy this assignment. Punishment? He considered. He did lie to his Queen- his punishment would be a world more severe if she ever caught him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued to my ramblings~ this story is almost finished, one or two more chapters.  
> unlike the rest. I will not have an extra chapter in the "maybe" at the end of this story. 
> 
> See you again, soon enough~


	41. Severian : 9 : Geovanti

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter: Geo's a touch too volatile to keep around for too long.

Severian wasn’t even startled by walking into his house and finding that Dakota had another person in there with him. He was too tired to care. Given Dakota’s history, the boy would probably be dead by the time he gets through his shower anyway. 

Severian tipped his head back into the spray. The knots that Lance had weaved into his locks were slowly working themselves free. The soaps around him quickly chased the pang of that garbage bag he was forced to lean on for a good chunk of the night. 

Make up ran the length of his chest- the tone of it much darker than his skin tone, but it sufficed to hide that he was a well manicured, beautiful creature. A worn, homeless man wouldn’t look as perfect as he. He hummed himself a stupid tune he probably learned in passing courtesy of some advertisement. 

The back to vibrant purple assassin bounced into the main foyer of his house, a towel wrapped simply around his thin waist. Two sets of eyes landed on him. Severian clicked his tongue, deciding on pulling out a beer before turning to his midnight guest.

“I see why you’re into him.” the stranger purred. He had yellow eyes similar to Dakota’s except his held more insanity. His pitch hair was long and unkempt, his teeth even held a tint of yellow. Severian found himself hissing between his teeth, the bottle couldn’t be opened fast enough. 

“Try to fake being normal for two seconds, would you?” Dakota growled without looking away from the television. 

“Shut up, angst lord.” the stranger smiled widely. He stood his full height, as short as he was. How old was this kid? Thirteen? His shirt stank of body sweat, only the devil knew what those stains were. Severian wrinkled his nose at the sight, god he’s going to have to sanitize the entire house to get this funk out. 

“Why are you in my house?” Sev spoke flattly, schooling his emotions to a blank mask.

“You have my omega, did you really think I’d let you just get away with that?” the stinking child smiled dangerously. Severian took a strong swig from the bottle, emptying half of it in one gulp. His fist thunked the glass bottom on the island countertop.

“I have your what?” Severian hissed, his beerless hand slipping the handgun out from within a drawer. He didn’t even care if this maniac saw him take it- he’s a fucking weirdo in his house at midnight. 

He knows he was complaining for more ‘homework’ but this was not what he had in mind. Severian has never even considered anyone under the age of 25 before. Now that it’s crossed his mind, he still has zero interest in such a thing. 

“Dakota hasn’t told you?” the stranger’s laugh cackled unnervingly. “I’m his alpha, you human piece of shit.” Those yellow eyes began to glow, maybe it was just how the light from above Severian’s head was reflecting off the unusual irises. 

“I give you thirty seconds to explain.” Severian lifted the gun.

“You can’t kill what’s already dead!” the maniac all but screamed, a childish light filled his expression. “Go on, pull the trigger! Do it! It’s gonna do nothing!”

“Severian, ignore him.” Dakota finally spoke, rising to his feet with his eyes rolling in his head. The kid jerked slightly, scowling at the blond. 

“Don’t regard me as if I’m just a child.” the kid was looking more and more feral. He seemed unstable as it was- perhaps a whole episode was about to unfold. 

“His name is Geovanti,” Dakota ignored the idignate slur that Geo promptly hissed. “He’ll get bored in about ten minutes and leave.” 

“How did this child get here?” Severian still had the gun leveled on Geo. 

“CHILD?!” Geo barked, rage causing the veins in his forehead to pop out. “I am older than both of you combined!”

“Really?” Sev snorted, quickly growing tired of this kid’s games.

“1927 is my birth year, Honey, I already told you. You can’t kill what’s already dead.” Geo smiled, throwing a finger towards Dakota. “That living little piece of filth- however. He can be made very dead.”

Undead? Perhaps the assassin did find himself a house full of vampires. Alpha’s can't die? What’s the fun in that? Geo was little more than a filthy, disheveled child. The more realistic choice of what was happening is that he had two lunatics. 

“You don’t believe me.” Geo spat. “Human filth like you never do. The elders are telling me to prove it to you. You’d believe then, wouldn’t you?” 

“Elders?” great, now the kid hears voices. Geo moved forward, eyes wild. Dakota moved quickly, pushing Geo out of the line of fire. 

“I think it’s time for you to go.” Dakota’s voice sounded a lot more submissive than Severian has heard from him. Maybe if he puts the fear of hell into him- maybe Dakota will whisper to Severian with that same sexy little tone.

“No, this is what I need to do.” Geo thrashed, pressing thumbs into the sensitive ducts of Dakota’s eyes.

“Shoot me, right here. DO IT YOU COWARD!” Geo giggled like an unbridled sociopath. “You know what? No. Let me.” 

Severian watched wide eyed as Geo fearlessly pulled the gun from the assassin’s hand. He held the barrel up to his temple and giggled.

“Watch and be amazed.” His voice announced as if he was a circus leader. Not even a second later- the gunshot rang through the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end?  
> is that an angry the end? I'm purposefully leaving it up to you guys for you to decide if you think Geo is going to be alive like he claims or if he's just now a very dead young man.
> 
> I know my answer: BUT depending on how many "bad guys" we wrack up I might return to our assassin to clean up a little for our weaker babies. UNTIL THEN
> 
> thank you for putting up with this little brain experiment: we will be returning to our normal programming after two days. So I will see all of you that remain on Friday~
> 
> p.s. comments are always welcomed.


	42. Felon : 1 : Take a Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!  
> Something tells me I'm a day late... which is fine I guess? I've been writing a lot recently and my days are starting to blur together.
> 
> This round is actually a continue of the very first story line with Zyane, Skylar, Reyne, and Grey.  
> Pretty much general warnings about angst and sexist (omegaist?) things that are typical to many alpha/omega dynamic storylines. 
> 
> I was really tempted to lable this whole thing as "The Makings of a Monster"  
> hopefully I do this right- and the title will make more sense as stories progress.

The two were interlaced together, sound asleep. The residential tub of love was sprawled across their legs, equally as sound in his sleep. It had been a few days over a month since Zyane had pulled Skylar from the alleyway. After the scare with red- they’ve slowly grown more comfortable with each other. 

The first few nights were hard. Sky would flinch at every movement Zyane would make. Zyane spent nearly a week on the couch to give the little omega some space. One night, one of Skylar’s nightmares had woken Zyane. The alpha was already high strung when it came to protecting the delicate little creatures that have been deemed omega- when the sound of that strangled cry reached his ears he god near tore the door off the hinges to get to his side. 

Sky was scared at first, but he was pulled against that large chest of the towering man. Zyane whispered nothing but reassurances. That was the first night they had slept together since Sky was no longer scruffed or red. They hadn’t separated since.

That annoying buzz of a thousand bands pierced the air. Zyane’s alarm went fully ignored for a few seconds as the three of them seemed to collectively groan. The alpha rolled slightly to swat blindly towards the offending noise. Once the demon was muted he only turned back to tuck his nose into that perfect little cinnamon scent he has slept against.

“If that goes off again, I am going to kill you.” Sky grumbled sleepily. The bed shifted as Felon dropped to the floor stretching out his lengthy legs. 

“Five more minutes.” Zyane grumbled back, clinging tighter. 

“Up.” his omega tapped out on the alpha’s wrist. Once he was released he sat up to motivate his limbs to follow his mind’s intentions. There had better be a special place in hell for whoever decided that mornings were the “most productive time of day”.

“Can we get coffee by Reyne today?” Sky yawned, his hands were being nuzzled up against by the white pitbull. 

“So you two can continue to conspire against Grey and I?” the alpha had rolled onto his back, one leg over the edge of the bed. Sky took that as progress. Felon howled his need to pee. Sky giggled to himself, starting to baby talk the fully awake ex-con. 

“Go tell Daddy.” Sky cooed, “He’s the lazy ass.” Zyane had half a mind to fully ignore the jab- but a keening groan already slipped from his throat as he forced himself up into the world of the living. 

The three walked the city street, dressed against the growing chill of the encroaching autumn air. Sky had an arm looped around Zyane, Felon pranced at the alpha’s left. Zyane was certain that they looked odd together. He was so tall compared to a lot of people- even among the alphas. His omega was short- even by omega standards. Didn’t help that Zyane looked like a punk reject straight from a magazine. His green mohawk had since been fixed, and his mossy blue eyes held nothing but love. His omega had insisted on putting him in makeup- namely eyeliner- on multiple occasions. Today being one of them. Sky’s hair had grown out since before. It had been longer before- but now he had it up in a tail that flitted with each step. 

Reyne smiled brightly at the sight of the little group. 

“Good morning sunshines!” the darker skinned man rounded the corner, wrapping his arms around Sky before moving to the alpha. 

“Sunshine my ass, where’s the caffeine?” Zyane teased, releasing Felon so the exuberant fuzz could go greet Grey. The two had grown close while he was watching over Felon for his buddy. Zyane almost felt bad every time he had to take his dog back. 

After sufficiently being greeted by Felon, Grey glided to the back of the shop with the dog in tow. Sky and Reyne were chatting happily, already moving to a vacant table to catch up with each other. The shop itself was only slightly busy. Only a few recognizable regulars that hid out here until their train arrived dotted the tables. 

Grey returned with a tray of steaming coffee and a platter of cake. The omegas were nearly purring at the sight. Grey and Zyane would be lucky to get a sniff between the two. 

“Have you seen the recent Shallow Walls movie?” Reyne elbowed Sky lightly, a teasing smirk on his face.

“Isn’t that a knock off of Fifty Shades?” Sky nearly choked.

“Not exactly- Shallow is soo much better. It isn’t just straight up stockholm syndrome. “ Reyne’s eyes flickered between the two of us before he noticed the morsel of cake that Grey was holding out for him. 

“And you two would have experience in this?” Zyane pulled his blushing omega close to his hip- not that it would serve as any protection.

“Not bragging, but.” Reyne smiled, lowering his voice. “If you ever wanna’s do a swap or a swing or somethin’ we’re totally game.”

“Oh, are we?” Grey snorted. Reyne waved his reaction away- as if “don’t mind him” was a normal thing to say. 

“Like an alpha doesn’t like to see two omega’s together.” Sky joined the bantering, Zayne snorted a lot like Grey. 

“What are you two saying?” Zayne took a larger swig of his coffee- he was not awake enough for this kind of topic. The omegas just continued to giggle among themselves.

“Z. I love you- but I don’t need your dick anywhere near me.” Grey leaned over to look the other in the eye.

“Ditto.” Zayne nodded, nervously looking between the troublemakers. 

After too long of sitting there and being the victim of whatever the omegas had in mind: Zyane stood abruptly and announced that he had to get to work. The alpha worked from home- but the drawings and emails and stuff always ate up more time than people generally thought. Sky and Reyne promptly wrapped their arms around each other and bid each other farewell. Zyane and Grey just looked away from the other and silently agreed to never bring up the prospect of a “foursome” ever again. 

Sky tried to stay quiet when they made it home, opting to read something he had found online as Zyane began to sink into his “work zone.” Felon even followed the que of laying down and napping though most of the time. Sky passively watched the alpha scratch away at the tablet- the screen in front of him reacting to his efforts. It looked like a character design. A turn around, maybe, of some chibi witch looking thing. It looked like most of the details were very vague- it was probably for a game in its infancy level of development. “Zyane.” the omega whined after hours of silence. The alpha flinched, looking over with wide eyes as if he had forgotten that the omega was even there.

“Can we get a snake?” Sky pleaded. 

“A what?” the alpha’s voice cracked, his odd colored eyes trying to focus on the screen Sky was holding out for him. A beige patterned snake was pictured- his nose turned up adorably like a little spade. 

“He’s a hognose. I want one named Noodle.” Sky was beaming. “Maybe his full name will be Darius the Danger Noodle.” Zyane couldn’t help the laugh that arrested his thoughts. Danger Noodle?

“Did Reyne put this idea in your head.” he messed his green hair- looking back at what he’s been working on for the past few hours.

“No.” Skylar spoke unconvincingly. “I just… really like snakes.” 

“How ‘bout we think about it for a little first?” Zyane never entertained the thought of owning a “Danger Noodle” as Skylar lovingly put it. Honestly- the things creeped him out.  
“I’m thinking Felon is telling me it’s time for a break.” Sky stood, earning the said dog’s attention instantly. Zyane did his best to ignore the yipping that had begun behind him. He had too much to catch up on- hell. There were things he thought he would have done last week still in the works. 

“If you wanna take him around the block, go for it. I’m needed here for a little longer.” Zyane stretched his stiffening shoulders. The ache between them familiar- but still unwelcomed. 

“He’s ditching us again, boy.” Sky whined to the dog as if the alpha couldn’t hear. 

“Just be careful. Don’t make me have to go out looking for you.” the alpha called passively over his shoulder. He was trying to re-read the specifications this commissioner wanted. Zyane’s done crap for this guy before: he didn’t take well to “artistic liberties.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for your continued curiosities of my ramblings~  
> comments are always appreciated- there's no need to be going insane by ourselves~


	43. Felon : 2 : Searching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my fellow ninjas! Hopefully you're all having a wonderful day?

The alpha would never admit it to Sky, but as soon as the omega left the apartment the alpha kept neurotically checking the time.

Two minutes. Five. Ten. Thirty. 

A trip around the block took fifteen, maybe at most twenty minutes. He was no longer being productive. The instincts of a feral alpha were swirling under his skin. He didn’t even clearly see the computer screen that was just a foot or two from his eyes- he just sat with straining senses. 

He didn’t hear Sky coming down the hallway. He couldn’t hear the tap of Felon’s nails on the tile floor of the hallway. Sky’s cinnamon scent had faded since his departure, the lack of it only urging the lanky alpha to his feet. It had only been a few minutes- what if Sky went back down to the cafe? It was selfish to make him sit in silence while Zyane worked. It was a thing spurred on by a selfish alpha impulse. Zyane knew that too well, now he was feeling beyond guilty for it.

It only takes a few minutes for something to go horribly wrong. Zyane shook his head at the thought- physically trying to shake that can of worms out of his head. Felon was with him. Felon wouldn’t just sit by all passive is someone tried to hurt Sky. Felon was a fighting dog, after all. At least Zyane would like to think that. The two were amazing together- most of the time Felon ran to Sky whenever he was in trouble. Because most of the time it worked to get him out of said trouble. 

Before the alpha had a full grasp on himself, he was walking out of the apartment high rise. The streets were moving as they normally would. The air was definitely colder now. Winter was probably going to be a royal bastard this year. The alpha’s scent spiked without his consent. He tried to walk as passively as possible, but multiple heads turned to look at him as he passed. 

Omega’s looked terrified of him. As much as it hurt him to see that, he couldn’t bring himself to calm down. Sky wasn’t answering his phone. If he had just gone to the cafe he would have picked up. Or he would have had Reyne or Grey or someone call him to let Zyane know he was okay. Is that too controlling to hope? 

Was Zyane just turning into another one of those alpha bastards that dance the line between love and abuse? This society turns alphas into monsters. Which in turn feeds the system all over again. A part of him wished that this system of alpha and omega just didn’t exist to begin with. Would things have been easier? Or would there just be another method of dividing people needlessly?

Zyane knew the path that Sky walked. He didn’t diverge from it. Zyane had told him to not stray from this path. Another mark against Zyane when it came to being too controlling- but that’s for his safety. This way Zyane knows where to start looking. 

He tried calling Sky one more time. The ring dragged out until voicemail picked it up. Wasn’t dead. Sky probably has headphones in, so he wouldn’t miss the ringtone as it blared point blank in his ears. The alpha’s jaw was starting to click as he turned another corner- nearing the halfway mark of the route. 

If Sky had returned home: he would have seen the note the alpha plastered on the front door. “Call me.” Something is wrong. Zyane started to wonder about the previous handlers. What if they saw Sky? Would they try to continue with their plans to turn him into a breeder? 

Zyane Howard was his legal alpha. The hospital, regardless of which one, would have to call him first. That’s if they went to a hospital at all. Zyane’s scent must have went off like a miniature nuke. Omegas separated from their alphas to cross the street- to get away from the towering man. A few of the younger alphas began to pass him timidly- baring their necks. 

As nice as it was to see- to the feral side of Zyane’s mind- he hated that he was in this mindset. If there was an alpha near his Sky, he just might be going to prison for murder tonight. At the very least he is going to scent and fuck the hell out of Skylar for the next foreseeable future.

Familiar barking snapped the alpha’s attention across the street. Felon.

That normally snow white dog was splattered with a deep orange along his side, he was barking and snapping at everyone that dared cross his path. It wasn’t even an alley, just a little nook between display stands of something tasteless and something gaudy. Perhaps the dog’s bark carried farther than the scent. As Zyane disregarded the traffic that honked their furry at the transfixed alpha: he was slowly able to pick out wisps of Skylar’s scent. It wasn’t the warm notes of his little sweet roll, not even that spicy pang of his stubbornness that adorns the air so often.

Felon silenced when Zyane approached. His fur was messed with blood- but it wasn’t his own. Skylar was propped against the brick wall, his clothes clinging to him in tattered ruins. His legs didn’t even have the faux covering his shirt offered him, from the waist down- the clothing he had left with were gone. 

How long had he been here? What even happen? No one had stopped to help him. 

“Where are you bleeding?” Zyane growled, his frame collapsed at the little omega’s side. The alpha was shaking with his fists forcibly in front of him. If he laxed just for a second- a bystander was about to die. 

Sky croaked, his hand drunkenly landing on Felon’s back. 

“Eh’s a good boy.” 

Zyane hissed between teeth, his eyes raking over his omega’s displayed frame. 

“Are you the alpha of … that?” an alpha shopkeeper raised a lip in disgust towards Sky. The shopkeep must be very stupid to not realize how close to feral the kneeling man was. There were a select few things one did not say to a protective lover. That was most definitely one of them. 

“If not- could you at least get him off my front? Don’t know what kind of disease it has.” the man waved, covering his nose with the back of his wrist. “The fucker stinks, too.”

“Did you enjoy watching too.” Zyane growled, his shoulder popped from the tension his muscles were pulling against bone. 

“The group didn’t clean up after themselves though, don’t you hate that? God, such immaturity.” 

The shopkeep had a broken nose before it registered to anyone that Zyane had moved. Two more punches whizzed through the air and found home in the alpha’s ribs and stomach before Zyane could reign himself back in.

The shopkeep sunk to his knees, wheezing from his collapsed lungs. A small crowd has frozen in place, watching the spectacle unfold. The squat man sucked breath while his eyes were glowing with a rage from a challenged pride.

Pride? Is that all this is about? Zyane cracked his neck once again. If the shopkeep wanted to stay alive- he would stay quiet from here on. Zyane slowly moved himself back to his omega’s side. Sky looked like he had checked out a while ago. His eyes were hazed over, his hand still drunkenly moving over Felon’s fur. As if he didn’t know what was going on. He probably didn’t want to acknowledge reality for a while. 

“I’m going to move you, Babe.” Zyane’s voice was like gravel. His fingers curved over Sky’s cheek, those beautiful sapphire eyes meeting his. 

“Did you get your work done?” Sky smiled shyly. Zyane’s body quaked under those words. A whole fresh flood of alpha washed over him like a cold rain. Zyane had to close his eyes and ride out the sensations that raged in him. His fault. Their fault. 

This is how monsters are made. In some forgotten recess of his mind a small voice pierced the noise: this is why he wanted to leave the city. They would. Despite if Skylar wanted to or not. They were going to leave and go… somewhere. It honestly didn’t matter where- as long as it wasn’t like this. 

Zyane made one last sweeping check over the deathly quiet crowd. Not a single one was meeting his eye, well… except for that prick of a shopkeep. He was shaking though. Must have been a while since he’s felt pain. Clearly he couldn’t handle it as well as an alpha is expected to. 

Sky was cradled against his lover’s chest. His tear stained cheek fell naturally against Zyane’s clavicle, the omega was buried within his alpha’s scent. Angry, protective, his: the omega closed his eyes before Zyane could even summon his dog to follow him. Felon did- the dog’s eyes fixed to Skylar the entire walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your curiosities with my ramblings~
> 
> feel free to rage in the comments- I answer everyone.


	44. Felon : 3 : Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter~

The note Zyane had left for Sky was torn off in a hate fueled fist. The paper crumpled helplessly as the towering man barged into his flat. His omega was unresponsive in his arms, the pitbull pranced nervously in a silent plead for the chance to sniff over Skylar. The alpha barked for Felon to go lay down. Promising himself it wasn’t a command. Granted- that was exactly what he wanted Skylar to do as well. 

Sky stank of other alphas. It didn’t take a stretch of the imagination to figure out what had happen to his beloved. Demons were still chanting on Zyane’s shoulders to go find the ones that did this. Go make sure they don’t live through the night. Sky would need his alpha here, with him. 

A rumble purred through the alpha’s chest as he nosed into the messed, dark hair of the one in his arms. Maybe this time he could get the bath right? He wanted to get that greasy reminder of the others off of his omega’s skin. It was either a bath or rolling over his omega with his own scent glands feverishly. Even with the bath- he couldn’t promise the latter wouldn’t happen. 

Skylar hummed blissfully when he felt the water encase him. Zyane was in the tub with him- currently burning his balls off. His omega was happy, that’s all that mattered. Zyane carefully cupped the thin frame as he smoothed the fabric of the washcloth over the stained skin. He mentally ignored the fact he had used his own soap instead of the omega’s: which was sitting right next to him. It took some time for Zyane to stop trying to wash away the bruises. A part of him wished he could just erase the entire afternoon.

He could have just taken a fucking break.

Skylar was purring by the time the water had cooled enough for the alpha to stand it. Clearly Sky hadn’t let the incident sink in yet. No one could be as placid as he is after something like that. A group assault, in the middle of the day, not a single person tried to stop them. Maybe except for Felon. 

Was Felon hurt? He sure didn’t act like it. Despite the thorough checking Zyane had just done over Sky, there wasn’t any wound nearly big enough to warrant all the blood that stained his snowy convict. He must have bit the absolute hell out of at least one of them.

Zyane was almost surprised by the swell of pride that bloomed in his chest. Maybe that’s why they weren’t in the alley- they couldn’t get past the sixty pound bodyguard. 

Zyane pressed his lips over every inch of skin he could reach. Sky had begun to shiver. He highly doubted it was from cold, considering the steam that had gathered on every surface surrounding them. Must have been nerves. Maybe he was falling into a shock? The alpha cooed under his breath as he wrapped his strength just a little tighter around Sky. 

The thin omega mumbles haphazardly to himself. Zyane tried to ground the omega into his scent. The alpha’s touch lingered over the bundle of nerves that laid on the edge of Sky’s collarbone. Skylar groaned to himself, his hands pressing against everything that was closing in around him. Despite his alpha’s efforts, he was severely claustrophobic in the tight space. 

“I’m right here,” Zyane nuzzled into the crook of Sky’s shoulder. When the dark haired man shook harder, Zyane realized he was trying to get out of the tub. 

“Okay.” the alpha stood, the omega still sat in the water, “It’s okay, Sky, let me get you a towel.” 

Felon yipped impatiently, bouncing with a level of energy Zyane was not in the mood to entertain. Skylar was bundled up on the bed, buried in almost every blanket that was within the house. Zyane had a wet towel and was currently trying to trap the anxiety riddled pitbull long enough to remove some of the stain from his fur. The dog wanted to be by Sky- Zyane wanted to be by Sky- but he couldn’t let the bed get smeared by the morbid reminder. 

The white pitbull was little more than a blur as he burst into the bedroom ahead of the alpha. He was on the bed and sniffing around the bleary omega. He turned partly on his back, that thin hand being earnestly nuzzled against. 

“Hey, boy.” Sky croaked, “I’s good. Lay down, babe.” 

To Zyane’s surprise- he did. The pitbull’s muscles still twitched with energy, but he plastered his body against Sky’s and laid his head just inches under Sky’s chin.

“Are you hurting?” the alpha tested the air as he eyed the bodyguard that Sky was being snuggled by. He wondered if the dog was going to let him anywhere near his omega. 

“Migraines a bitch.” Sky chuckled dryly. “I’m sorry.” 

“You have no reason to be sorry.” the alpha bristled, earning a growl from the looming dog. 

“Fel’s a good boy.” Sky sounded like a broken record. “The best boy.” 

“I should have gone with you.” the alpha edged to the other side of the bed, moving slowly to not provoke Felon.

“The guy tried to hold ‘im off while his friends… the… the guy’s probably in the hospital now.” Zyane shouldn’t have been as happy as he was to hear that. He pet that wrinkled, scarred head fondly.

“He is the best boy.” 

Zyane was digging through the cabinets the following morning. He had learned a few simple things since Skylar had moved in- he needed to conjure up something for his recovering love. The pan clanked louder than he was expecting when he tried to extract it from the pile in the oven. 

Felon whimpered from behind the counter. Zyane stood to see what was wrong. Skylar was leaned against the wall. His blue eyes still slightly fogged over, but he seemed to be taking in his surroundings. 

“Good morning.” the alpha’s voice was soft, a pang of guilt pinking his cheeks. “Did I wake you?” Sky shook his head “no.” He shuffled between his feet, moving to the barstools that lined the humble island.

“Hungry?” the alpha worried fingers over his own green fuzz. He was still studying every line of the paled face. Sky swallowed, shaking his head “No” again.

“You need to eat, Babe.” the alpha abandoned the pan on the stove, reaching for the fragile hands. A defeated sound whistled from Sky’s throat and his shoulders slouched further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all hugs will be found in the comment section. ~
> 
> thank you for your continued support~ I never thought this would keep me motivated for so long~


	45. Felon : 4 : Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this count as fluff? I got use to the chaos that I forget what a normal paced story is like.  
> is this moving too slowly now, or is it an okay break?

“What if I’m pregnant? What if I lose another baby?... would you even accept another alpha’s pup?” once he started speaking- he couldn’t seem to stop. The thoughts that have been swirling his head finally found a way out. Skylar couldn’t help it.

“Hey, hey.” the alpha rounded the counter, quickly pulling the shaking man against him. “I’m not abandoning you, regardless of what happens.” Sky mumbled incoherently under the heavy presence of his alpha. Zyane was scenting him vigorously with his throat and wrists. 

Reyne knocked on the door incessantly. He had overheard the conversation between Grey and Zyane earlier in the afternoon. The coffee shop was promptly closed for “reasons” as he threatened to walk to Zyane’s apartment alone if Grey didn’t get a move on. 

“Where’s my Baby?” Reyne snapped, forcing his way through the doorway. Grey stood apologetically in the hallway. Reyne continued on his way through the house, calling for Sky. Zyane wanted to ask him to shut up- let the omega sleep if he had finally managed such a thing. The bedroom door slammed shut- the omegas were secluded for their usual sessions. 

The two alphas looked between each other nervously.

Sky felt the bed dip, the familiar weight of Reyne joining him in his impromptu nest. He murmured a few things into Sky’s ear before settling behind the smaller man.

“I came as soon as I heard.” Reyne purred into Sky’s hair, the smaller omega melting into his friend’s hold.

“What am I going to do?” Sky hiccuped softly, the hold around him tightening slightly.

“Zyane hasn’t hurt you, has he?” Reyne spoke seriously, “Sometimes alpha’s go a bit haywire after things like this.” 

“No…” Sky looked towards the closed door, “He’s been a saint so far.” Reyne purred his relief.

“Try to get some sleep? I’ll stand watch for you.” the dark lips pressed against Sky’s jaw line. 

“How do you get the feeling of hands off of you?” Sky murmured, obviously unable to turn off his mind. 

“Replace them with someone’s you trust.” the taller omega purred sinfully. “You have a loving lump of alpha just outside that door.”

“I don’t want an alpha over me... “ Sky sounded broken. The wounds were still fresh in his mind. Reyne lifted himself to gaze in Sky’s eyes. 

“Want me to help you?” the omega’s voice was liquid silk, his dark eyes didn’t hold malice. Regardless- they scared Skylar. The darker palm caressed the swollen cheeks. He wasn’t waiting for an answer before he trapped Sky’s dry lips under his. Fear pulsed the smaller chest. He couldn’t just lay there again.

Could he have a say in what was happening for once in his life? Between breeding, red, being jumped. He really didn’t want to add his best friend to the list of nightmares that were going to plague him. 

His hands pressed weakly against the other’s shoulders. Reyne only looked mildly concerned, pressing the wrists into the fabric of the bed. 

“Let me have control, little omega.” the dark voice sounded demonic to Sky’s ears. His heart was stuttering in his chest as he fought against the weight above him. Nothing was working. His hushed, nervous, pleas were falling onto deaf ears. Reyne lowered his teeth to Sky’s throat, sucking a mark into the flesh.

That was when Skylar summoned enough strength to scream. 

The bedroom door flew open, the handle embedding itself into the wall as the alphas piled into the space. Reyne had moved away from Sky, his eyes were blown from fear. Sky had curled into himself, covering his head with the first pillow he could grasp. 

“What’s going on here?” Zyane snarled, he moved himself to his omega’s side. When he saw that Sky was on the brink of a panic attack Zyane tried to coax him up onto his lap. Reyne stuttered, looking guiltily between the three. Eventually his brown orbs settled on Grey. 

“We are leaving.” Grey’s voice dipped into a command. Zyane’s blood ran cold as he gripped Sky tighter. The omega it was aimed at fell to his knees in front of his alpha, his throat bared.

“I’m sorry, Z. Sky.” Grey inclined his head to regard the entangled couple. “I forgot that his heat’s coming up- he… doesn’t think clearly during this time.” Zyane understood then. He silently regarded the two as they left, Reyne completely under the thumb of his alpha. Having another omega here was supposed to help- not make it worse. 

“You’re okay.” Zyane mumbled into the sweat laden hair under his chin. “You still up for that snake you were thinking on getting?” Sky let out a dry laugh- wrapping his arms around his alpha’s throat. 

“I might have a pup to be worrying about.” Sky groaned into his alpha’s shirt. 

“There’s a morning after pill- how about I go get it for you? It supposedly takes two days for an omega to even officially conceive- there’s still time for it to take effect.” Zyane’s mind was working a touch better now that Grey had gotten some caffeine into the system. Sort of- he was still heavily scenting his beloved. From the look on Sky’s face: either he never knew such a thing existed, or he’s never thought of it as an option. 

“I’m not leaving you alone.” Zyane looked his omega in the eye. “Hiding in here isn’t going to help you gain your courage. And I don’t trust anyone near you without me by your side at the moment. Honestly- I’m afraid someone will break in. I know that’s a crazy fear, but it’s really bothering me.” 

Sky nodded hesitantly. “I get it.” a small smile curved his slightly bruised lips. “I… appreciate it.” 

Despite the pending time limit- Sky and Zyane stayed pressed against one another. Sky was drinking in the gentle touches from his alpha as he tried to hold the demonic shadows at bay. Sky was safe with Zyane- the alpha had never given him a reason to doubt that. 

Alpha helped Sky into clothes. Street worthy ones that would hold up against the falling chill. Zyane looked disheveled at best but he was more focused on making sure Skylar stayed right under his arm. Felon was left at home, much to the dog’s offence. 

It felt like every living thing in the city was staring at Skylar. The omega barely walked on his own feet from how pressed against Zyane he was. The alpha let a few warm growls rumble his chest when that scent of panic spiked a touch too high form his omega. Just enough for Sky to recenter himself. Alpha was right there- he wasn’t going to let anything happen. 

Zyane walked up to the pharmacist, talking in hushed tones over the situation. The well educated alpha had scent blockers on his throat. Not as many as the alpha’s in the hospital, but effective enough for Skylar to refrain from clawing away every time those teal eyes flashed over to him.

Turns out rape victims didn’t need to pay for the medication. They figured the victim had enough of a hell and decided to not let money or added guilt be another layer of said hell. 

Zyane thanked the pharmacist, taking the small baggie and holding it to his chest as if he was afraid to lose it. The green haired tower tilted his head toward Sky, softly asking if the omega had any questions.

“Will I be killing the pup?” Sky’s voice cracked with guilt, both of the alphas deflated at the sound. 

“No,” the pharmacist smiled weakly. “This just stops a pup from ever developing. It won’t hurt a pup if they’re already formed.” 

“So… like a condom?” Sky shrugged to himself.

“Yeah, kind’a like a condom.” the formal alpha chuckled at the comparison. 

Skylar took the bag when they sat down in a corner cafe. The omega was still hyper aware of every set of eyes around them. He felt like they were burning holes into his skin: judging him for being so weak. Zyane’s presence helped. So did the strawberry smoothie the alpha was pushing closer to Sky’s side of the table. 

The omega braced his nerves, popped the blister pack that held the unassuming pink pill, and convinced himself for the hundredth time that he wasn’t killing anything. This pill didn’t cause a miscarriage, it wasn’t considered an abortion. He was just… using a version of a condom that… overslept. One that was late to work all the time, but still got the job done. If nothing else- personifying a lazy, probably hung over rubber brought a little smile to the corner of the omega’s lip as he washed the pill down with the sweet, frosty drink. 

The alpha hummed in question, both of his hands spread in the center of table in wait for his omega’s grasp. Sky was going to be okay. Zyane was going to make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosities for my ramblings, feel free to rant in the comments~


	46. Felon : 5 : Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back,
> 
> I'mm'a going to go hide before people get angry at me~
> 
> NOTE: I've been warned that this chapter is a bit intense for people with some triggers. Mind the new tag of yandere and all the dark themes that comes with that implication.

Zyane leaned on the counter of the kitchen, his gaze on the unaware omega. Skylar had been engrossed with his phone ever since they had gotten home. He smiled at the little led screen every so often, tapping away at the keyboard. 

“You okay?” Zyane tested the silence. Skylar suddenly became very aware at the look on his alpha’s face.

“Just... talking to a friend.” he explained, clicking his phone locked before setting it on the couch beside him. The screen blipped back to life to report that there was another unread message already received.

“Have I met them?” Zyane tilted his head, his eyes couldn’t make out the name from this distance.

“I don’t think so. He’s super sweet, always in Reyne’s cafe. I think you would like him.” Sky smiled nervously, his fingers twitching to open the message. 

“Omega?” Zyane’s lip twitched around the thought.

“Alpha.” Skylar squeaked the word. Zyanes shoulders dropped, his throat showed the workings of his sinew as another message from the said alpha lit up Sky’s phone.

“What’s he talking about?” it was a command, not a question. Skylar tilted his head to bare his neck, his grasp wrapped around the little phone. Slowly, he tapped in his password and held it out for his alpha to read.

The conversation was innocent enough: by standards of an alpha talking to an omega. The name of Aida was in the contact, followed by a couple ghost emojis. One of the texts raised Zyane’s haunches.

“We’re going out for drinks after work, if you want an escort?” Sky hadn’t answered that one as of yet. Zyane tapped out the answer for him. 

“Can’t tonight, Alpha has plans.” 

Zyane didn’t think much of it when he pocketed is omega’s phone. Skylar looked slightly distraught at the notion, but he stayed silent. The towering alpha stood in front of his sitting omega. Those blue eyes fidgeting as they took in the darkened face.

“I thought you would be more aware of strange alphas.” Zyane’s voice managed to soften a little. The tone bordered concern, causing guilt to fill the little omega.

“I… he’s…. He’s a friend I’ve been talking to for a long time now.” Skylar tried to explain. He was trying to convince himself that Aida wouldn’t hurt him. 

“Do you want an alpha’s touch that badly?” Zyane growled, his hand cupping Sky’s chilled cheek. No, Sky didn’t want anyone’s touch. Despite how he shook his head, the alpha kept his touch firmly on the omega’s skin. 

“You have me, I’m here to protect you, Skylar. I love you, you know that.” Zyane’s words sounded demonic. Like a mad man trying to behave. Skylar nodded, his lower lip worried between teeth.

“I love you, Skylar.” the alpha growled again, prompting Sky to reflexively respond. He flinched when the alpha’s hand slid over his scruff. Zyane held him- not enough pressure to cause him to be rendered paralyzed- but it held the unsaid warning.

“I just want you to be safe.” Zyane purred, pressing his mouth unwelcomingly against Sky’s. The little omega kissed back obediently, hoping this would be over quick. Sky could forgive his alpha this time. There was a lot of stress on his shoulders from Sky’s screw up. He should have just waited for Zyane to finish work instead of growing antsy. The least he could do was forgive Zyane this time.

Sky woke in his alpha’s arms. The two were naked, the door to the bedroom was closed off to keep Felon in the hallway. Not too much of last night was clear to the omega. He just remembers that familiar panic striking his heart. He still felt the ghostly remnants of Zyane’s touches blending with the assailants. Even though the man that claimed to love him had him tight against his chest, Sky was shaking as if he was alone. He silently prayed that it wouldn’t wake the alpha. Zyane might think that he needed another round of affections. Zyane seemed to have it in his mind that Skylar needed sex to get over what had happen. 

Sky tried to convince himself it was just some alpha instinct Zyane was falling back on. Eventually the alpha that was afraid of pressing the little omega’s boundaries would come back. Zyane would probably be nothing but apologies and soft encouragements.

It had been three days. Sky found himself spending a lot of time on the couch in a silent room. Zyane doesn’t want him out in public until the scents of the other alphas are off of his skin. The alpha seems to think that everyone will want a part of Sky. The scent of a breeding omega drives many of the juvenile mad with lust.

Maybe Zyane was just going into rut? That would make so much more sense. This attack just happened at the wrong time, now his instincts were going absolutely haywire. Ruts last a week, right? If this is the precursor of the pending week, Sky’s going to have a hard time.

The omega swallowed thickly, he still hadn’t gotten his phone back from Zyane. Now he sat in the darkened room, perfectly silent, with no connection to the outside. Perhaps Zyane had it in the bedroom somewhere? He could shoot a text to Aida, maybe the alpha would have some advice for a rut. Sky’s never dealt with an alpha during the entire course of his week. The omega’s been a victim of rut, but not for the full duration. 

The bedroom belonged to Sky as much as it did to Zyane. There was no reason to be nervous to enter the space. The shadows stretched their reach around the room, darkly watching Skylar as he explicitly broke one of Zyane’s commands. This was Sky’s room too. There was no reason for him to not be in here. 

Sky’s eyes were straining in the darkness, he was fumbling through Zyane’s side table drawer. Random junk looked accusingly up at him. He fought a wince when he came across a ball gag. Why would Zyane have one of those?

Maybe it was from a past relationship? Sky would be selfish to think that an eligible alpha was waiting for Sky to fall into his lap. The fact that the two had met each other at all was purely by chance. 

His phone seemed foreign in his hands. Sky tapped out the password reflexively, looking over the multiple missed messages from the past few days. Each one was more urgent than the last. The last one from Aida was sent only half an hour ago.

“If I don’t hear from you soon, I am calling the cops.”

Sky lifted the speaker to his ear- the phone was answered within two rings.

“Hello?” Aida’s voice cut sharply. Sky whimpered at the aggression that was radiating from the other side of the line. 

“It’s me.” Sky whispered despite being home alone. He felt like someone was there- he was going to get caught.

“Are you okay?” Aida rushed, he didn’t know how long he had with Sky.

“I’m fine, really, I’m okay.” Sky sounded like he was trying to convince himself. “I think Zyane’s going through a rut soon.” 

“I can get you out of there.” the voice on the other side promised, another voice Sky recognized as Aden- Aida’s twin- was talking in the background. He didn’t sound happy about the situation either.

“Don’t worry about that. I was… just wondering if there was something I can do to help him.” Skylar was knelt on the floor, his eyes fixed on the darkened hallway. Felon and Zyane could be coming back at any time.

“Don’t even give me that.” Aida snapped, “You have no obligation to deal with it for him. He could very well accidentally kill you, Sky.”

“Tell me your address, Skylar.” Aden took the phone, his voice was slightly higher than his twin. 

“I... I don’t think.” Sky couldn’t finish collecting his thoughts. Aden’s voice boomed from the speaker in a command. Skylar reported the numbers and the street reflexively. The words felt bitter on his tongue as they slipped out. The house felt that much darker. 

“Good, little omega. It’s okay, Skylar.” Aden praised soon after, he purred a few more praises that eased the omega out of the command triggered mindset. It had been a while since someone had done that for him. Zyane’s getting very… flippant with commands recently.

The lock on the front door turned. The omega didn’t even communicate that he had to go- he just locked the phone and slammed it into the drawer. Felon met the omega in the hallway. Sky probably smelt as guilty as he looked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for your ramblings. 
> 
> Feel free to rant in the comments.


	47. Felon : 6 : Fallout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this the same sitting as last chapter, so I don't know anyone's reactions as of yet.
> 
> Here goes nothing.
> 
>  
> 
> NOTE UPDATE: the themes from last chapter are continuing and worsening ( ? ) in this chapter. yes you will be angry at me: I'm sorry.

“Anything happen while I was gone?” Zyane moves fluidly, turning on the main light of the apartment. Sky shook his head no, keeping his eyes down on the pitbull. Felon seemed to sense that Sky wasn’t as okay as he wanted to be. That pissed of Zyane more than it raised red flags. That dog wouldn’t let the alpha near his omega anymore. Unless -of course- the said dog was trapped in the hallway.

“Are you sure?” the alpha moved to the hall, looming over the nervous omega.

“Just… waiting for you to come home.” Sky mentally tried to look up at those blown eyes above him. He couldn’t force himself to do it. 

“I’ll try to not be gone so long next time.” Zyane whispered the sentence as if it was supposed to be comforting. Skylar just continued to stare at the floor, forcing himself to remember how to breathe. 

“You’re hungry aren’t you?” Zyane moved to the kitchen. Leaving his omega shuddering in the hallway. Skylar couldn’t understand why he was reacting like this. Zyane loved him. He wanted to protect him. Sky was safe with Zyane, wasn’t he? Sure, the alpha had reacted badly to a bad situation. Skylar could forgive him for that- but his instincts couldn’t seem to follow suit.

Two weeks had dragged. Zyane’s rut never came. He only got more paranoid: more controlling. Skylar was hidden in the closet whenever Zyane had to leave the house. That phone call with Aida and Aden was the last time he had talked with anyone outside these walls. Anyone other than Zyane. 

Someone’s been knocking intermittently on the door. Maybe that was why Zyane had told him to hide in the cramped space. Someone was trying to get in- someone really was trying to get at him. The last thing Skylar wanted was to provoke more trouble. 

The front door opened, promptly closing as the familiar sound of nails ticked down the hallway. Felon’s snoot was pressed on the underside of the closet door before Zyane could even make it into the bedroom.

The alpha cracked the door open, his sight raking over the curled form. He smiled sweetly, kneeling at the omega’s side.

“You’re being so good for me.” the alpha praised, pulling the small frame onto his lap. Sky didn’t fight against the touches. They never stopped when he fought them anyway.

“I had the strangest thing happen today.” Zyane pondered aloud. Skylar barely even acknowledged his alpha speaking.

“The police came to the apartment, right when I was leaving.” Zyane mused, studying Skylar for a reaction. “Apparently your alpha friend is… worried about you. He tried to have you removed from my custody.” Sky didn’t even look up. He vaguely remembered one of the twins making him say where he lived. But, that had been so long ago now- surely they had forgotten.

Skylar was easily forgettable. 

Zyane hummed his question when the omega stayed silent in his grasp. “You know I love you, right? You know I’m doing this to protect you,right? The world out there is brutal to omegas. In here- you are safe.” the alpha really hadn’t given him much of a reason to distrust that. The omega was able to eat, sleep, he wasn’t in fear of being beaten on a daily basis like his previous life. Relatively: yeah, he was safer here. 

Zyane was his alpha, after all.

“We’re getting out of this city.” The alpha smiled to himself, tucking Sky under his chin. “We’re going far away, back to Indiana where I grew up. You’ll be safe there. No one will be able to bother us there.” 

“Can I go see Reyne?” Sky braved the question. Yesterday- the same words weren’t taken well by the alpha.

“I’ve already told you.” the alpha growled before shifting to something more… controlled. “Reyne tried to hurt you. We can not risk that again.”

“I want to say goodbye to him, if we’re leaving.” Skylar didn’t want to leave the city. He’s been wanting to go back to his family. He wanted to see his parents, his brother. So far he could only pray that his brother didn’t fall into the same hell he had. They took Skylar as the breeder because he was the elder of the two. After they lost control of Sky- would they go back for Vance? Before all of this, not wanting to hear that his little brother was now a breeder was the only reason he was too afraid to contact them. 

Now Skylar sees how stupid he was for that.

Without invitation, Grey came to the apartment with Reyne. This time the omega stayed obediently behind the burly alpha. The alpha’s eyes hard with accusation as Zyane cracked the door open. Skylar was sitting silently on the couch yet again.

“What’s been going on, Z?” Grey’s voice shattered the silence. “Haven’t seen nor heard hide or hair from either of you.” Zyane growled low in his throat. Grey raised an eyebrow, looking around the lanky alpha towards the statue still man.

“Skylar, You need help?” Grey called, promptly earning a punch from Zyane. The green haired alpha snarled warnings that didn’t exactly grasp language. Grey was only slightly surprised by the blow. He continued to keep himself between Zyane and Reyne, his own hands working to keep Zyane’s attacks at bay. 

When Skylar was noticeably passive, Reyne called out to the omega. Begging for his attention: Reyne tried to dart past the fighting men. Zyane landed a hard hit on the smaller man’s jaw. 

Grey roared a feral sound that cracked in his chest. Reyne flew sideways to the floor. The omega’s eyes swam for a moment as he tried to regain his awareness of the world. 

“You’ve turned into the very monster you’ve always hated, Howard.” Grey warned darkly. His thick hand was grasping into Zyane’s green locks, forcing his sight on Grey’s face. 

“You need to fucking control yourself.” 

“What I need is to get away from filth like you.” Zyane snarled back. “We are leaving. Don’t bother trying to find us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end? for now? 
> 
> I have a method to madness! Don't worry. I am slowly tying in a bunch of story lines. so. to be continued: through another perspective.
> 
> In light of previous concerns I'll be switching storylines for the next little round. To be brutally honest I do write daily so my emotions do play a part of what happens in the books. That's how I've always written. I've been writing daily- if not every other day for years now. This is just the first time I've gotten the kahoona's to publish it. This particular turn was 'triggered' by a nightmare I had.
> 
> Instead of taking two immediate days off: I'm gonna do something weird. I'm taking friday and saturday off so that I can go to my cousin's wedding~ so I'll be starting the first chapter of the next story line tomorrow- then leaving you guys hanging for a little. I'm sorry.  
> IF I have planned this out right- I should be back in full swing on Sunday the 23rd
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosity at my ramblings  
> Feel free to rage in comments~


	48. Surge : 1 : Outskirts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my Ninja Army~
> 
> So since I'm a Halloween fanatic and I recently found a stash of super old drawings of mine: I decided on working on my Surge's story. I know I keep intending for things to not be tied together, but this time it would be pretty impossible to tie him in with the others.
> 
> I'm actually super nostalgic with this guy, he's the first one I've ever tried to draw out a character design for.  
> This is still a little older- but newer than the paper version that I currently have.  
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dih9GSbUwAA1wSh.jpg
> 
> This is a Omega/Alpha universe in a post-apocalyptic zombie situation. But that's not enough for someone like me. So the main character Surge is in fact a zambie-baby. So body horror warnings that are generally typical of zombies. Along with the violence and character deaths that come along with post-apocalyptic scenarios. 
> 
> Okay: I'm done ranting.

Leaning on the wall seemed natural at this point. The people on the other side were afraid of him, not that he could honestly blame them. He fiddled with the mask that was fit snug across his cheeks, at least what was left of them. He tried to pass as a regular human, he still had the mental capacity of one- his body was decaying though. The nuclear blast was not forgiving on him. Even now the lingering toxic miasma that hazes the landscape forces him to wear the gasmask that concealed his decaying jawline.

The very one he would probably be wearing, regardless if it was safe to breathe. Something about having a face that is distinctly lacking a jaw bone unnerves everyone involved. Surge remembered the exact moment the sickening weight fell to his lap. He was not okay, ever since that moment, he has refused to take inventory of his dwindling limbs. He knows he’s dying. Technically already dead- if only he wasn’t so aware of the fact. The shuffling zombies that he’s fought off so many times seemed so blissfully unaware of their situation. Spurred on only by the blind instinct of hunger. 

Hunger was something Surge shared with the dead. He understood the incessant need to eat. His body was actively losing parts at every turn. Dead tissue doesn’t multiply, and the body craves to eat what it can't make. He remembers the same urge while he was alive. The occasional pang for some kind of fruit he hadn’t eaten in forever, once in a while something salty sounded amazing. Currently- it was someone’s face, fingers sounded good too. Last time he counted, he had eight. He didn’t want to know how many he still possessed. 

At what point does someone lose their humanity? Is it when their minds go? Or is it when their bodies decay and dissolve back into the soil? He’s bargained with himself for the thousandth time that he was allowed to attack other undead. He was the only one he was aware of that still had a conscious. Granted- from the outside, he probably looked like just another shuffling monster. There wasn’t really a way to know the difference. Without a jaw, he couldn’t tell the survivors that he didn’t want to hurt them. He needed help- but he was on the wrong side of history. 

The dynamics that once ruled the world with an iron fist shattered under the war. No one believed the threat of the bio-warfare. Now they do: now that it’s far too late to turn back the clock and try another path. It’s going to be centuries before humans or creatures in general will be able to live like we once had. In truth- life probably won’t be able to hold on that long. 

He willed his aching limbs to move. The wall was serving as a place to rest- but it was more of a support than he wanted to acknowledge. He didn’t know why he lingered near the settlement like he was. Maybe it was a shallow feeling of protection. The humans would shoot down any rabid zombie on sight. For some reason- they must have gotten familiar with his presence. Maybe it was the mask. They might have felt more at ease if the monster was muzzled. Surge wasn’t going to question the little help he could get. 

A squad of alphas from a few days ago were returning. They looked worn out and traumatized by whatever had happened during the course of their endeavor. The leader was in front, his wild eyes narrowing on Surge as the said zombie began to limp away from his vantage point. 

He raised a trembling handgun at Surge. It shouldn’t surprise Surge, but it still wasn’t a thing someone could get use to. He raised his hands in surrender, earning a few shocked noises from the following comrades. The leader’s gun wavered from the target. Surge tilted his head, acting like an omega- despite his alpha dynamic. He couldn’t speak, he had to use every ounce of maybes he could. 

The six alphas almost froze in their advancement, studying the odd undead. Surge had been here for a while- this is the first time they’ve been this vulnerable to his attack. Yet he’s acting as if he would surrender. He’s undead- they had to force themselves to remember that as they climbed into the safety of their confined settlement. What ever zombies that followed them back from their travels would have to be the odd one’s problem. They couldn’t afford that kind of risk.

Nights were always the hardest. That was when the undead seemed the most restless. The zombies wanted the cover of shadows. They were almost dependant on the sleepy bleariness of the wall guards. Surge had found a crack in the defences. He wasn’t sure if it had been left there on purpose or if the humans just didn’t know of its existence. It’s not like he can tell them about it anyway, so instead he normally hides out there. Laying snuggly between wooden beams and metal sheets, Surge silently looked over the human’s street before him. On one side he had the wilds, on the other the faux normality of civilization. 

Undead were nothing if not loud. Shuffling could be heard circling the barriers. A couple fruitlessly clawed at sharp metal wedges, they seemed completely oblivious to the permanent damage they were causing to their hands. Dead tissue doesn’t bother healing itself. Anything that happens- will be a permanent defect. 

Surge was littered with bloodless scratches from past battles and utter stupidity. Even tonight, as he forced himself into his makeshift shelter, he caught his leg on the beam. Now there was a new tear that ran a good quarter of the length of his shin. Thankfully he noticed it was happening before he had torn off his whole foot. 

He’d definitely be screwed then.

A bullet whizzed across the air. The solid thump of a body falling to grass was dangerously close to Surge’s hiding. He leaned forward, seeing three figures still stumbling over themselves just to the right of the indent. 

Another bullet flew across the air- the head of the next nearest undead snapped back. His body twitched as if confused before falling rigidly backwards. Surge felt his body twitch at the sight. He could be killed just quickly. For some reason- the snipers were having mercy. Surge could only hope that a newbie on the wall would be told about his presence before Surge’s life is taken. 

The other two were killed off at nearly the same moment, the second shooter must have taken interest, or they were rivaling again. Surge ducked back into his hole. His mind uneased at the sight of death, even if they were already technically gone. Yet so was he, Surge was technically dead.

Morning light streamed into his hiding hole. The city on his left was beginning to come to life. Omegas and alphas worked together as if the dynamics meant nothing. Omega’s ran with rifles slung over their shoulders just as often as alphas stooped in the mud to coax the weakened food plants to survive another day. 

Their resident zombie just crawled back into the wilds, looking up at the wall guards. Two of them were standing right above where he had been sleeping, their eyes locked on the undead. Surge raised a decomposing hand in greeting, just to turn around and brace himself for another day in this post apocalyptic world. 

Hunger was hard to ignore at this point. Surge had managed to defend himself from a deranged group of walkers yesterday, in the process he had earned himself a couple samples of food. He dreaded to go out on a purposeful hunt. Hunting meant he would actively be putting what was left of his body in harm’s way. The bodies of the four were still laying in the grass not far from the wall. Time had tainted the meat further than what he was use to. Still, he couldn’t pass up a free meal, not in this environment.

Surge began to pick at the decadent flesh of a fallen zombie. He had to focus on gathering smaller bits that he could trick his body into swallowing. Not having a jaw bone has made eating significantly more complicated. What was his tongue was a shriveled mess. Surge knelt on the ground, watching the forest line as he felt for the zipper of his gasmask. The sight of the blood and bile coated leather made his stomach twist, but he made a mental effort to not turn towards the survivors. They would definitely shoot him if they saw the condition of his face. One bit at a time, he forced the flesh into the back of his throat, triggering his muscles to swallow.

At high noon, another squad of alphas emerged from the city’s gate. Just a group of four men with rifles and packs. Surge stood stock still as they eyed him. They seemed nervous of his existence, but they eventually turned their attention to the forest line. That is where the true threats were lingering. What they were after was lost to Surge, but it must be important for them to risk leaving their little oasis. 

He found himself walking to the nearby river. He felt like he needed to clean off. The impulse was probably some left over habit from living, but it made him feel a sense of normalcy. The water itself was tainted into a oily swirl of radiation. Figuring that whatever the contamination would do wasn’t worse than what was already happening, Surge stripped off his over-worn clothing and waded into the lukewarm stream. He hadn’t realized how scratched up he had gotten since the last time he had cleaned himself. With bated breath, he looked over his hands. Seven fingers: both of his pinkies were gone, now his ring finger on the left hand was also missing. He flexed the joints he had, seeing grotesque bones working between split tissue. 

The haze was starting to stir with a pending storm. Surge moved back to the shore to start drying off. His vision swam when he caught his already tattered leg on a sunken log. He fell with a splash onto the grainy beach, his mind reeling with the possibilities of what had happen. 

The skin and sinew of his left shin had been cleaved off cleanly. White bone glared up at him compared to his off colored meat. Surge turned back to face the earth, his insides twisting as he tried to acclimate himself with the development. He would have given anything if it meant he could have some cloth to wrap his wounds. Out of sight- out of mind. It would give him a sense that he was still human. Instead, his body was screaming reminders of what he was: just another monster. 

The winds were picking up as he fumbled through the familiar landscape. He hadn’t realized how tired he would become since he now relies mostly on his right leg. His arms shook as they tried to push him off of each tree trunk, propelling him forward. Mustard gas seemed to possess the land. The clouded yellow burning his eyes. 

Then he heard that nightmare familiar shuffling. He had earned the attention of something that was undead. The figure was stout if not fat. His head was missing most of its hair, skull showing under his eye and wrapping around his temple. He let out an unintelligible growl as it seemed dead set on approaching Surge.

A fraction of Surge’s mind hoped that it was a zombie with a conscious like himself. If he did, he wasn’t going to be asking the same question about Surge. The dead swung haphazardly at the already weakened zombie. Surge was knocked to the ground, finding the man’s weight settling on his back. Pain seared his shoulders as the attacker’s nails tore into flesh. Surge fought, fighting to push up from the ground before the assailant managed to sever his spinal cord. 

That precious bundle of nerves may very well be the only reason he was still able to function at all.

A gunshot echoed in the misty foliage. The pain had stopped spreading, Surge held his breath, hoping that didn’t mean he was hit. Was he paralyzed and now he was only feeling the ghosts of his last sensations?

The man over Surge fell stiffly to the dying grass. Surge wasn’t sure if he should try moving. He was afraid of the answer. 

Footsteps could be heard approaching- they were steady. Survivors? 

An omega was knelt a few feet away, his eyes concealed by the gasmask that he adorned. Five others were with him. Surge focused his sight onto his hand, mentally willing himself to try to twitch the limb.

It reacted. 

Surge returned his sight to the looming omega. He couldn’t see the expression behind the thick mask, but the fact that he was still there and not aiming a gun at Surge was a good sign. 

Slowly, Surge willed his arms to take his weight. Pain and weakness from his now injured shoulders made the movement more strenuous than the undead was expecting. It was almost too much for him to take. The omega tilted his head, holding up a hand to his team. As Surge willed his head to gaze up at them, he realized the other five each had a gun trained on him. The kneeling leader was telling them to hold off. 

Surge pulled his legs under himself to sit up. Even then he was hunched over from weakness, his remaining fingers filtered through his thinning hair to straighten it. Maybe it would be a mercy if they shot him here. He was already losing so much. It would only help preserve him for what he was and not what he’s ultimately destined to become.

Nothing more than a monster. 

“We have to get back.” one of the soldiers spat, his gun was unsteady. It looked as if he was surveying the quickly approaching weather more than the dead. 

“I know.” The kneeling one responded. “Do you really want to leave our little pet out here to die?”

Pet? Is that how they viewed him? In this world of nightmares, they’ve found an oddball to call a pet.

“It’s a fucking walker.” another soldier hissed. “It’s already dead.”

Surge knew that was the truth, but hearing it from someone else only made it worse. It made it that much more real. The omega raised to his feet, the glass eyes of the mask still felt like they were studying every line of Surge. He moved forward, spurring the surrounding soldiers to question his sanity while steadying every muzzle on the sitting dead.

“The rain’s going to be acidic,” the omega sounded funny from under the filtration. “I can at least bring you a tarp to cover up with.” As the silence followed, Surge realized he was waiting for some kind of response. He found himself nodding, wondering if they would take that as a sign of intelligence because there was no way he was going to be able to talk. 

The omega stepped just a hair closer, braving to outstretch his gloved hand. Surge looked between the omega’s palm and the surrounded group of distrust. This was the closest to human he’s been treated in a very long time. He reached for the palm, but didn’t wrap his hold around it. He was too nervous of the trained weapons. 

The omega pulled him to his unsure feet. The others stared at him, a couple lowering their guns. Surge didn’t have any intention to hurt any of them. They were the only chance this world had to continue with life. Surge didn’t want to help cause the end of existence. 

The guards looked very skeptical of the notion of letting Surge into their sanctuary. The undead was shaking from weakness at this point. He found that rest did help- almost as much as it had while he was alive, but he had taken a lot of damage during the course of the day. He didn’t know if he was going to be able to keep going for much longer. 

When the first few drops of rain came to earth- they decided to put this rivalry to the side. Surge was ushered into a storage shed- for lack of better terms. The roof was solid, but so was the lock that kept him inside. He would be safe from the rain, even safer than he would have been in that hole of the wall.

Wait. would the zombie’s brave the rain to cross into the city? Surge prayed not. If he pounded on the door: he would find a bullet in his head. He was physically unable to talk. His only chance of not becoming very re-dead was to sit tight and hope for the best. 

This acidic rain eats into anything organic on contact. Even if the walkers were stupid enough to try, they would be taken down by mother nature before they could get far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm also going to a wedding tomorrow, so I'll be leaving you ninjas hanging until Sunday. Partly for the reason of the larger-ish update. 
> 
> Due to be resuming this one on Sunday the 23rd.
> 
> Come October I will be participating in Goretober ( the digital art challenge. ) So I don't honestly know what the posting schedule will be looking like. I've narrowed down the individual drawings to just be line work (generally something I can get done in a few hours) but I still have a full time job and a family that worries whenever I hide out in my room for more than a week. I'm trying to bust out a bunch of works right now in preparation, but no promises. 
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	49. Surge : 2 : Confined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back my ninjas!

Surge did his best to sit passively in the small space as thunder echoed around him with a hell’s wrath. Ever since the nuke- the earth has been trying violently to clean itself of the offending creatures. Humans were so much more resilient than nature had expected. 

Sometime in the night, frantic clawing scraped against the door. The lock on the outside was torn off. The hinges almost cracked in half as an alpha burst into the small room. He was so distracted by the burning of his skin that he didn’t realize he had just closed himself in with a walker. 

The man screamed in frustration more than anything as he tried to tear his radiation suit off. Part of it was already torn- rainwater was being held up against his skin by the very thing that was meant to protect him.

Surge stood slowly, eyeing the zipper than ran the length of the alpha’s back. If he could undo it for him- he would be able to get out of the said suit. The man howled again, tearing his trembling hands into the yellow fabric. Surge decided to just go for it and gripped the man’s shoulder. The alpha noticed him all at once.

The man froze in his place at the sight of the decaying fingers that now held him. He didn’t register that the zipper had come undone, that the suit he had been struggling against was now starting to fall away easily. All he could do was stare at the decaying man. The very zombie he had seen wandering around the perimeter for a solid month now. Every so often the dead would wave, or nod, or some kind of indication that he was once upon a time human.

Now he was in a very close quarters with the said undead.

Surge finished with what he could do, so he backed himself against the farthest corner he could. His tattered limbs folded together as he sat on the floor. The alpha was able to look over every detail now that he was right there. Granted- he didn’t quite remember the strange creature looking so beaten up before. He definitely has never seen him inside the city’s walls before. Who put him here? Who let him in?

Why was he acting so different from the others?

The alpha shucked off the soaked suit before trying to shake all the burning liquid off of his skin. His arms and feet were blistered red from where the water had sat against his flesh. He seemed more concerned about the sitting zombie. 

The alpha backed against the wall, sliding down to sit similarly to Surge. The two sat in a silent truce. The alpha kept his rifle on his lap, just in case. Surge could pick out the wails of the stupid out from between cracks of thunder. None of them sounded like they were within the walls. The only ones that were smart enough to know how to breach the wall must have been hiding. 

“So what the hell is your story?” the alpha snorted in the dim lighting. He sounded like he wasn’t exactly expecting an answer. Just making small talk with who he was trapped with like he had every other time this had happen.

Surge shrugged, unable to speak. He let his sight linger on the alpha, finding the man to be quirking a brow at the zombie.

“Did you just fucking understand me?” the alpha’s shoulders tensed, the look on his face would have made Surge laugh in his past life. The questioned dead nodded, holding a hand up to cover his mouth through the mask.

“The thing understands me.” the alpha tried to convince himself, his sight darting around like he was trying to find the tell-tale flaw saying this was only a dream.

“Can you talk?” the alpha questioned again, his voice growing breathy. Surge shook his head no, again covering his mouth with his decaying hand.

“Is that mask not letting you speak? I can totally take it off for you.” The alpha seemed to forget that he was still in the room with a zombie. He crawled forward, his hand reaching for the leather that encased most of Surge’s lower face.

Surge pressed himself back as far as he could against the wall. He shook his head frantically- his arms out to try to fend off the good intentions. The alpha stopped while kneeling just in front of Surge, his mind clearly searching for reasoning.

“Are you… deformed?” the alpha guessed. Deformed? Yeah, that’s one way of saying it. Surge nodded. When those questioning orbs didn’t leave Surge’s face he raised his hand to his mouth for a third time. This time however he raised all seven of his fingers to the alpha’s gaze.

The alpha turned a shade of sick. His lip upturned at the morbid, bloodless wounds. The sockets of missing knuckles were festering like every other dead thing to exist. He almost expected maggots to start emerging. “Deformed” was the nice way to say it. The man moved back to his side of the shed. Surge was left wondering what was going through the stranger’s mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I thank you for your continued curiosities of my ramblings.
> 
> I answer all comments, and we don't judge here: so feel free to rage all you want.


	50. Surge : 3 : Ally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you? I'm always rambling but I don't think I've asked about you yet. How rude of me!
> 
> ( Holy Hell is it already chapter 50??? I'm half way through this?! )

Sun began to filter through the fogged glass of the shelter. The storm had passed, thankfully. Everyone hoped that it wouldn’t carry a monsoon that would flood the settlement in liquid pain. The door to the shed was pressed open suddenly. The voices on the outside concerned over how the lock had been removed. Handguns flashed over both of the occupants before even more confusion raised in the small crowd.

“I’m okay.” the alpha grunted from the rude awakening. An omega had hold of his arm and was trying to look over his body for signs of an attack. Surge didn’t move, he kept his head low, his posture passive. 

“That fucker understands english.” the alpha blurted while pointing towards Surge. The omega from last night released the alpha’s arm. Clearly he didn’t believe the deranged survivor.

“Do you?” He chirped with an edge of hesitance. Surge nodded as he braved to meet the omega’s eyes. Hunger was clawing at the edges of his self control all over again. He ate some yesterday, not enough to ignore it throughout the course of another day. Surge really didn’t want to screw this up. Soldiers gaped at the undead in the corner. 

Surge slowly got to his feet. Eyeing the on edge men as he shifted experimentally between his feet. His right leg was weaker than it had been prior to yesterday, but it was still functional. He looked shyly over the group, the infiltrating thoughts and urges were almost impossible to ignore. He was better than that. He had to be. 

They released him back into the wilds. To his relief: they closed the gate behind him. From there he let his sight scan the surrounding clearing. He would be able to allow himself to succumb to the urges out here- away from the survivors. The only one’s he’ll be able to find out here are other dead. He hated it, this was how he was going to ultimately get himself killed. 

He returned after scavenging another meal, this time he took some extra bits and was carrying them close to his side. He was going to hide back into his crevasse as he usually did. To his surprise, the guards called down to him. 

“Hey, over here.” One yelled, it was the alpha from last night. Surge looked up at his rugged outline. The setting sun washing out the sight with reds. 

“Come on- get in here.” he called out, the gate rumbled to life. Surge stood in shock as the settlement opened their door to him. His hold on his future meal felt foreign. How would they react to it? Would it just prove to them that he was just another zombie, fumbling around with this hunger that could drive anyone mad. 

Strong hands helped him up onto the platform. He nodded his thanks, gazing over the surprising number of survivors that had gathered to see him. Curious eyes lingered over his ragged body. Children were among them. 

“We’ve decided that you seemed like you needed a hand. As long as you stay as passive as you are, we don’t have a problem offering you a place to sleep.” the alpha from last night was on his right. His voice carried the purr that would normally be directed towards an omega. Surge no longer had hormones nor scents- he was a true neutral now. 

Surge nodded his thanks again, committing those brown eyes to memory. His dreads were pulled up out of his face in a half tail. The lengths of weaved hair gracing almost the center of his back. He smiled honestly, as he clapped his hands together to motivate the surrounding people out of their perplexity.

“It’s getting late-” he barked, “Let’s have a good night, shall we?” 

Surge was led to the shed from last night, now a cot had been set up in the corner. The random supplies that were stored within the walls had been organized into shelves. He recognized the street, it was the far end of what he could see from his hideaway. 

Surge let his eyes search the surrounding buildings. He never realized how close to residential homes he was as he was tucked between the beams. He wouldn’t be there to protect the flaw any more. Surge wouldn’t be able rest knowing this.

He froze at the open door of his room. He looked over the kind features of the giant soldier, as his mind ticked back and forth between risking this. He was already dead, what difference would it make? These people were alive- they needed to keep living. 

“What is it?” He kept his voice low, super aware of how closely people would be watching the interactions with the undead. Surge pointed a worn finger down the street. After a few seconds of stillness, Surge stepped into his room to place tomorrow's meal on the floor. He raised his hands in surrender as he stepped back into the street. The alpha’s muscles tensed rhythmically as he forced himself to trust the unlikely ally. 

Surge lead the way to the wall, pointing at a point that was about five feet above the ground. That was where Surge would sleep. The vantage point he could have infiltrated at any point. He had to fight off a few zombies that tried to do just that over the course of the month.

The soldier looked between Surge and the unassuming crack in the wall. From here- it didn’t look serious. That must have been why they hadn’t fixed it yet. 

He didn’t say a word, only taking a running start as he scaled the short ledge. His voice mumbled something as he slipped completely into the indent. The man’s voice could be heard yelling on the other side of the wall, the higher guards noticed him. They sounded like they thought their friend had gone crazy. 

Within seconds, the dark man emerged from where he had disappeared, still yelling up. 

“This kid could have been in here with us at any point he wanted.” He jumped from the ledge, landing solidly on his feet. “Instead he shows us where the breach is.” He turned towards Surge, his hand clapping onto the thinning shoulder.

“My name’s Lance.” he chuckled, swearing under his breath. “Wish like hell you could tell me your name.” A thought stuck him before he could give Surge a chance to react. 

“Can you write? Do you think you would still be able to if you tried?” Surge hadn’t thought of it. At best he would be shaky. His hands barely functioned enough for him to work basic tasks, but it was worth a try. 

Surge shrugged, not much else he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to rant~
> 
> Hopefully we're all having a good day, I'm in the mood for a good day.


	51. Surge : 4 : Gauze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the point where I realized I used Lance. 
> 
> Screw it- I'm committed. I'm so use to using my boys together that I didn't even think about it when I dropped him in the story.

The city was coming to life around him, he could hear the people starting to flood the streets. He was laying on his stomach. His shoulders were just too raw to take any weight. Given some time, eventually the pain would fade away. As soon as enough tissue decays. 

He didn’t have the motivation to get up. This was the first bed since the blast that he’s been able to rest on. Surge had fully forgiven himself in advanced if he should never urge himself to sit up again. He sighed contently into the thin wool pillow that pressed against his gasmask. If he was lucky, this is how his true death would sneak up on him: unnoticeable, peaceful. 

A touch feathered over his arm. His sight snapped up to his side, his body twitching into alertness. He was propped up on his elbows, a woman had fallen backwards onto her butt. 

She stuttered up an excuse of her presence. Surge shifted his weight so that he could sit up normally, tipping his head to the side submissively. Slowly, she regained her courage. She lifted her hands to Surge’s view as she raised herself back to her feet. The omega was short, her skin was shaped by years of stress and worry. A sack was spilt on the floor by her feet. 

Surge tipped his head further, silently bracing himself against the hunger that was coiling in his gut. Her touch lifted his wrist, her calculating eyes studying the decaying sockets. Surge forced himself to breathe evenly. Her fingers were light on him. She seemed to be trying to wash his wounds, at least the worst of them. He had so many scrapes in his skin that he was amazed that any of it was managing to cling to bone. 

She lifted a ball of gauze to Surge’s sight, her voice soft like a bell as she explained what she was going to try. She didn’t like that he was so wounded looking. She knew this wouldn’t make too much of a difference- but he would look better. If Surge could, he would have cried from how thankful he was. 

She dipped to the ground, rolling his ruined pant leg up to his knee. Amazingly, she only seemed slightly disturbed by the exposed bone. She prodded the enveloping meat, some of which laid uselessly without the tendon that had been victim of the fall. She hissed between teeth when she began to study the flesh closer. Her skilled hands pried gravel from the forest floor out of his wounds. Surge wished he could ask her to step out for a moment. Just a moment. 

He had meat waiting for him in the corner of the room. Still he refused to unmask himself in the presence of a survivor. His hands were growing restless, his thoughts were beginning to wander to dangerous territory. He was a monster, after all, and the hunger was stirring within his veins. He didn’t want to be possessed by the impulses like the deranged outside of the walls. Was that the only difference between them? Surge found ways to eat, while the others were driven mad by hunger.

She finally finished. Her sack was repacked and slung over her shoulder as she smiled innocently at the dead. She held the door open as if she was offering for him to follow her. 

Surge found enough restraint to just shake his head “no” and point at the rotting meat in the corner. Her hands folded together as she took in the sight of the filth. Her nose scrunched as a frown deepened her lines. 

Surge stood, mentally screaming at himself to not take another step closer to the woman. She seemed so fresh. Even through her age she was still plush and rosey with life. Surge could almost sense the heartbeat as it fluttered around her chest like a rebellious finch. 

“Are you hungry?” she sounded honestly concerned. Surge nodded, standing a little straighter as he interlaced his remaining fingers behind his back. His mental mantra turned into one word. “Behave.” 

“Want me to get that mask off of you?” she meant well. Surge had to remind himself that. When she took a hesitant stride forward, Surge shook his head violently. Both to tell her no, and to get that clawing impulse out of his thoughts. She froze mid-step. He raised one palm to his masked mouth while pointing towards the door.

“Get out.” he wanted to scream. “Please, just get out.” She seemed to understand slightly, her throat baring in instinctive habit. 

“Once you’re done, I can bandage up that too. If that’s a problem?” Her intentions were pure, but just the thought of showing anyone what he was under the mask made his blood curdle. He shook his head no. Despite whatever else poured from that sweet voice. Surge couldn’t stop shaking his head. 

He ate slowly, as if he had a choice in the matter. The mask was over his knee, within easy reach if he heard that door begin to shift. The mask was utterly filthy. The woman had insisted on leaving a cloth for him to clean himself up with. She was so innocent it was almost painful to watch. As the last bit of meat slipped down his throat, he figured he owed it to his brother to at least pretend to be trying to take care of his mask. His elder brother may have given up, but that doesn’t mean Surge has to. 

Surge thought he was starting to get use to this. He was a rot pile, but that’s just how things are now. He was fine as he cleaned his own bile and slop off of the inside of the leather. He was fine, until he found a tooth.

Nausea churned his stomach hard. His hands nearly dropped the heavy leather, the tooth itself fell with a padded thud to the dirt floor. His eyes screwed shut, palms had moved to support his temples. While sucking in blood tainted air, Surge was willing himself to keep it together. Just get the mask back on.

Out of sight- out of mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your continued curiosity!
> 
> I'll try to step it up with the quality of content: I went back and read some of the older works... I hope I've improved. Maybe I'm just too close to the works. 
> 
> go ahead and rage in the comments.


	52. Surge : 5 : Reason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is a fluffy as a post apocalyptic world can get?

Surge looked over the crowd as he stepped into the sunlight. He felt better now that he was bound to the extent just shy of a mummy. Because of course, from one monster to another. An omega called for the zombie’s attention, bouncing over a touch enthusiastically. 

“You’re back!” he chirped, the voice sounding vaguely familiar. Surge must have given him a confused look because the omega soon straightened himself.

“I must look different without that mask.” he admitted, pointing a thin finger towards his own cheek. “I was the lead of that squad that found you before the rain.” Surge nodded when he finally was able to match the voices. His fingertips met each other at his chin, fidgeting in a futile attempt at portraying “thank you”. The man watched the zombie’s movements with interest until Lance had called for the omega’s attention. Apparently this omega’s name was Garrett. 

Garrett rushed over to the fleet, Lance had a map sprawled out on a makeshift table. From what Surge could gather, the settlement was in dire need of water. These acidic rains taint almost everything it touches, so they need to find a source straight from the rock reserve itself. 

The rivers mapped out were systematically marked, ranging from acidic to radioactive. The one they were going to check out happened to be the very one Surge was familiar with. He pressed himself between two of the soldiers, his finger dragging a line across the thin markings. 

“You know of that one?” Lance questioned, Surge nodded. His decaying hand moved to the radioactive symbol then back to the river’s mapping. 

“That saves a trip.” Garrett shrugged, “We did find you on our way to that river. But the weather turned.” 

“Is there any more sources of water you know of?” Lance had his eyes on their resident dead. Surge tipped his head to better read their map, running his mind though what he had seen of the wilds. 

He dragged a fingertip just north of another marked pond. The pond was marked as acidic, which makes sense- the water couldn’t escape. 

“Do you know if it’s safe?” Lance began marking in pencil where Surge had indicated. Surge shrugged, pointed at his own chest, then back on the map. He could go check it out. 

“We can’t send you alone.” Garrett instantly rebuked, his brown eyes swiveling between the leader and the dead. 

“He knows where it is, so at least, he should go with.” Lance looked over the reaction of his men. They have taken to the undead very well. It also helps that he wasn’t actively trying to eat everyone’s face at any given moment. 

“Speaking of which, what’s your name?” Lance leaned on his elbow to hand Surge the bit of broken pencil. He took the wood in his hands, fumbling with it like a newborn before his fingers could remember how to hold it. He tried to steady his nerves, reminding himself this wasn’t a penmanship test. The “S” started off as a “C”, he managed to go back and add the little tail to it. When he penned the “U” he stopped to think it over. “Surge” was a shorter word, but that is what his older brother always called him. He had a half of a mind to change it to Sergio. A little difference: with a good chance that people will just naturally shorten it to Surge anyway. 

He braced himself and committed to “Surge.” His brother was either a coward or brave, he couldn’t decide. Jorge had left Surge to deal with this world on his own. Jorge could have survived… well… “Survived” just as Surge had. But he stepped into the rain, and waited for it to end. 

Maybe Surge was just too much of a coward. 

“Well, Surge. You, Garrett, Rachael, and Minx go check it out. Be back by with a report by nightfall.” Lance nodded to each of the members he named. The command was his way of telling them to be safe. It wasn’t a question that they would come back- they had to under orders. It was almost heartwarming to watch. 

Minx paced at Surge’s side. Her hair pulled up and out of her face with what strangely looked like a shoelace. They had offered Surge a knife, the rest had rifles. The group just met Surge, he was lucky enough that they had let him live. 

The forests were quiet, especially since the whole end of the world incident. Any noise now normally meant a walker had found your scent and you had better be ready to fight. Birds didn’t even scatter from branch to branch anymore. That was one of the things Surge missed the most. Among the small things- he missed the songs of birds. 

Without crossing the path of anything else, the four came to the side of water. That familiar oily glimmer of radiation shimmered as a top layer of the running stream. It was beautiful, if it was in any other situation. Garrett whined, tipping his head to the sky. 

“Least it’s a beautiful day for a walk?” Minx tried to lighten the mood. Surge stepped closer to the water’s edge, his eyes straining to pierce into the splintering woods. The three questioned their zombie, Garrett actually reached out to pull the man back from the glimmering stream.

Surge’s hand followed the water’s path to the curve- the stream had to start somewhere. If he went back far enough- he might be able to find the mouth. With any luck, the survivors would be able to use water from there safely. 

The three were watching Surge with raised brows. 

“If you’re thinking on going farther- we won’t be back by nightfall.” Rachael argued, her eyes scanning the bend. “It’ll probably take days to get around this.” 

Right, the survivors wouldn’t touch the water. Surge proceeded to remove his shirt, dropping it to the dirt. The three loudly questioned what he was doing. Surge fearlessly waded across the tide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter I'll be sticking warnings in the notes. I mean: body horror is a branching theme considering Surge, but other nightmares want to join the party.
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosity~ feel free to rage in the comments.


	53. Surge : 6 : Green

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started the warning yesterday: this chapter starts off happy, but turns quickly ( but you guys should be use to that from me )
> 
> are warnings spoilers? I don't know where the line is actually
> 
>  
> 
> seeing someone they know as a zombie, ultimately murder/suicide.

The mouth of the river wasn’t far at all. He made it to the small pool after only ten or so minutes of walking. The grass around the pool was green. Actually green like it had been in the previous lifetime- not this reddish burnt crisp of ashen remnants that feigns growth now. Surge was almost afraid to touch the young growth. He might contaminate it. 

Beautiful yellow flowers peppered the small meadow. Their blooms were enormous. Strong stalks holding the plant proudly- looking more secure than majority of the trees that littered the area. Surge almost forgot the whole reason he was coming this way to begin with. 

He tore his sight off of the pad of heaven, only to be greeted with that oily layer coating the water. It seemed worse here than it had farther down the stream. Something must have popped. An undetonated bomb somewhere under the earth. The beauty that was the lush green was going to die soon. At least he had the honor of seeing the last patch of a previous world before it gets snuffed out. Surge bit back the guilt of seeing this patch all alone. He skirted the edges of the lush, just until he could reach a couple of the blooms.

The survivors were waiting at the bank when he emerged from his journey. One arm was held behind his back- if he hadn’t had the mask on… if he had cheeks, he would probably be blushing like some high school nerd braving to confess his love to the popular girl.

Garrett was rambling on about how stupid that decision was. The water was clearly dangerous. Little did he know that Surge had bathed in water like this many times. What difference was it going to make?

Surge turned to face the two women, his eyes low but he straightened his shoulders. He held out two flowers, each one easily the size of Lance’s fist. They gasped in unison. Rachael was the first to reach out for the stem, her face was lit up in wonder.

“Where did you find these?” Minx was amazed. The omega snorted something about being a player. Surge tipped his head innocently, backing away to give himself a little bit of distance between himself and the survivors. He had radioactive water dripping off of him after all. 

“Does this mean the spring is good?” Rachael looked hopeful with the flower pressed to her chest. Surge shook his head “no.” He pointed to the oily slick, tracing it all the way up the bend. The whole thing had been tainted. 

“As stupid as that was, it saved us a couple days’ trip.” Garrett grumbled, looking over the sky for the time. “We need to get heading back. I don’t know bout you guys- but I don’t want to be at the butt end of Lance’s wrath again.”

Minx snorted a laugh, “You have no sense of humor.” Garrett shot her a dark look. Whatever they were referencing was not humor to the omega at all. 

The walls were practically in sight, the sky was starting to turn shades of night. The dead seemed to be sleeping still, but these dusk hours always held the potential for a bad night. 

Garrett let out a startled scream, two gunshots rang in the air. The three spun to see their leader using both of his hands to fend off a walker. It was a smaller one- but they were remarkably… under decayed. The two bullet wounds still bled along his ribcage, but they went unnoticed.

Minx’s throat closed up, her eyes started to water instantly. Rachael raised her gun, the omega was starting to lose the battle. Surge lifted the knife, the weight still unfamiliar in his hands. Garrett was pressed back against a tree, his voice little more than stuttering pleads. Rachael was about to take the shot, but Minx threw herself against the woman.

“You can’t kill him!” She begged. Her eyes frantic as she watched the young dead. “No, no, no… Richie. Richie you have to still be in there!” Minx pulled the smaller zombie back, away from Garrett. He only turned on her. His hands grasping hungrily for anything he could vice. 

“Richie, it’s me.” She fell to her knees, trying to search for familiarity in those fogged eyes. “God, Richie, don’t do this!” 

Garrett pushed himself up from the tree, his legs shaking under him. Rachael took his hand to look over the scratches he had earned from the scuffle. 

“Minx.” Garrett tried to earn the hysteric woman’s attention. “I’m sorry, Rich was a-”

“Don’t say he was!” she grit her teeth, her alpha scent spiking dangerously. “If that rat Surge can keep his humanity- so can Richie.” she tried to smooth the youth’s hair, only earning another growl. 

“We don’t know why Surge is the way he is, but it doesn’t seem that Rich’s as lucky.” Rachael tried to reason. When Minx sent a deathly glare toward Surge, Rachael quickly moved in between the two. 

“You don’t get it.” Minx was shaking, Richie was oblivious to the conversation. He was starving- Surge knew that pain. 

“We have to go in.” Garrett tipped his head when Minx’s gaze burned into him.

“Richie’s coming. I’ll lock him up- like what you did to your pet.” the woman lowered her voice to talk to the child. Rich only went to snap at her fingers. Rachael swallowed, looking towards the gates. They needed to get back, Lance was going to have their hide for how late they were already. 

The said man towered over the ledge of the wall, his eyes were focused on Minx with the young zombie. She was staggering with the struggling weight, her voice barking angrily.

“Release him!” Lance boomed over the noise. Minx froze at the command, her expression contorting into something feral. Lance roared over her scream. His form shifting grotesquely into a beast before he calmed himself enough to return to his normal form. 

Minx held her gun up, the sight lined with Lance. Her threat was lost to a growl as she pulled the oblivious zombie closer to herself. Garrett tackled her before she could pull the trigger. The two struggled, Richie was thrown to the ground in the chaos. Rachael demanded that they stop, this fighting wasn’t going to get them anywhere. They didn’t stop, Minx only grew more furious. 

Another gunshot rang in the air, causing the omega to stumble back- his pupils blown. He slowly seemed to register that his shoulder wasn’t quite reacting like it should. His whole left arm was limp. Rachael caught the falling omega, her skilled hands already pressing against the bleeding. 

Lance had jumped from the ledge by then, his powerful form fully shifted into a nightmare. His claws dug into the earth as he posed himself between his allies and the betraying Minx. 

“You don’t understand.” she shook her head, her voice cracked under the weight of the words. She fully ignored Lance’s words. The gun was still under a white knuckled grasp. 

She shakily raised her handgun to towards Richie, the young body crumbling under the thunderous noise. Then she raised it to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My question of this story is "Where does one lose their humanity?" so this is inevitably a part of the conversation. It's the counterpart of "When does something become sentient?" which has been raised with the rise in technology. If we can gain our humanity- does that mean we can lose it?
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	54. Surge : 7 : Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're back to calm  
> It's okay- no panicking needed.
> 
> maybe I should rename this "series" to Whiplash? any votes on that?

Surge was sat in the small room, the other survivors decided to try to get some sleep. The resident nurse Cynthia- did they call her? - had dozed off in her chair. She was the one to visit Surge earlier in the day, now she was hovering over the wounded omega. Thankfully the bullet missed majority of the vital bits- but his shoulder was shattered. Surge was convinced he wasn’t actually sleeping. His breathing was too labored for anyone to be able to rest. Rachael saved his life. If she hadn’t reacted they way she had, he would have died in that field. They’ve lost two people already today. No one wanted to add the bouncy little omega to that list. 

Two knocks echoed off the door quietly, Lance pressed the splintering wood out of his way. He took inventory of the occupancy before focusing on Garrett. Surge stood to offer him the chair, shifting from foot to foot. Surge assumed he shouldn’t be seeing this by the look on Lance’s face. His brown eyes were narrowed worriedly. His giant fists flexed his uneasiness. 

“Hey, Runt.” Lance growled, his voice giving away that he had just recently shifted back to his present state. Surge remembered shifting. It was invigorating. It offered a better high than any drug he had dabbled in, everything around him would come clearer- sharper to every sense. Shifting was no longer an option to him now, hell, healing was no longer an option. 

Lance knelt on the floor next to the bed, his huge frame still letting him effortlessly look over every detail. The alpha was clearly gripped by his thoughts, his jaw working around unsaid words. 

“You better pull through you punk.” the alpha snorted, braving to move the thin shirt off of the bandaged wound, blood had stained though the bindings. “You should know it’ll take more than a bullet to take me down. That was fucking stupid of you.” 

Lance raised his head at the sound of another gunshot. He studied the window for a moment before getting to his feet. His hands had shifted without his permission as he paced with all the danger of a feral alpha. 

“Anything happens with him, get her up.” Lance barked in a controlled volume. His sight pierced straight through Surge, the said dead was frozen in his place. 

Garrett had stabilized a bit over the course of the night. Cynthia still dotted over him. She was taking advantage of the little bundle of nerves at the nook of his collar. It was practically the only thing they could offer in the form of pain management. 

Surge moved through the settlement the next day. Some of the survivors were still unsettled by Surge’s existence, but in a way he held hope for all of this to be not as bad as it seemed. Lance had decided against sending out another team for the day. He couldn’t risk a repeat of yesterday so soon. His sanity couldn’t handle it. 

A child toddled up to Surge, her tiny fingers grasping at air around her with curiosity in her eyes. The dead waved, sweeping a glance over the bustling crowd in the hopes of spotting the tiny human’s parent. Then he felt the tiny hands grab at his tattered shirt, a playful smile showing off her dimples. Surge tipped his head, afraid to offer a finger for her to hold on to, she might take it with her. 

“Jenny!” a woman’s voice cut across the noise. Surge snapped his head towards the disgruntled sound. She had her arms full with a basket of cloth, her lips in a thin apologetic line. The daughter turned towards her mom, the childish babble filling the air. 

“I’m sorry about that, Sweetie.” She nodded towards the trouble. “She knows no fear- I swear to god.” Surge shrugged, tipping his head submissively. The hunger was there, but he could control it just a little better than previous days. Maybe zombies can lose their appetite through nerves? At least Surge wasn’t a nervous eater. 

The settlement felt more like a suburb than Surge was expecting. It didn’t hold the high traffic chaos of a city, but there weren’t enough living to pull that off any more. Guards sporadically picked off zombies that wandered too close to the walls. The echoing gunfire seemed to have become a usual backdrop for the people: like how sirens had become in the previous life. The other night’s storm had eaten away large portions of their fields. 

Besides water- food was quickly becoming an issue. Anything with a pulse could fall to this virus that Surge had been inflicted with. The plants themselves seemed immune- but the acid rain from the fallout was eating them away. Whispers of riot became an underlying fear. No one could trust that their neighbor wouldn’t go to extreme lengths to ensure their family would be able to eat because they themselves would go to extreme lengths. 

Surge had found one patch of green in the forest. Maybe he would be able to find another? The map held many rivers with radioactive water- if he was lucky- the mouths of those rivers might be green meadows as well?

If the survivors found a way to plant something in those spots, their farms wouldn’t be washed away by nature. Something was allowing the grass and flowers to grow despite the onslaught. Surge made up his mind that it was something worthy of looking into. 

Lance was looking over the map before him. The morning sunrise was a beautiful blend of reds and purples- the sky not seeming quite ready to forfeit the night just yet. Surge knocked on a wooden pallet as he approached. The sound snapping the alpha out of his thoughts and locking his eyes on the dead. Surge was hungry- but he willed himself to ignore it. 

“Hey.” Lance sighed, turning back to his scribbled notes. “I don’t know what to look for first.” the man admitted through grit teeth.

“I want this settlement to make it. We have youths here that don’t know another life. I don’t want to fail them.” he chuckled dryly. “I remember when I was appalled that there was an entire generation that didn’t know a world without the internet. Now we have a generation that doesn’t know a world without the dead trying to eat them.”

Surge folded his hands behind his back, looking away from the alpha. He wished he could contribute more to the conversation. Tell the alpha that he’s seen other settlements that have caved in on themselves long before Surge came across this one. Silent as the dead, was a saying for a reason. 

After Lance had reclused back into his thoughts, the zombie tapped on the map a few times to regain his attention. The alpha grunted his awareness, visibly pulling himself out of his head space. Surge picked up the stub of a pencil and did his best to draw out the remainder of the river they had checked the day before last. At the mouth he forced a shaky circle with a two year old’s rendition of a flower within it. 

“Rachael was saying you found something alive.” Lance was studying the additions, “But I thought the water was tainted?” Surge nodded the confirmation, but tapped the flower scribble again.

“Do you think, maybe it’s at other places too?” Lance traced the next nearest river with a finger, guessing the mouth was just a little off of where the sketch ended. Surge nodded, pointing at Lance in hopes that he would understand that was exactly what Surge was thinking.

He didn’t make it to the other source in time- but he might have a chance with the other ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosity and support~ 
> 
> feel free to rage in the comments- we don't judge here.
> 
> btw I did a thing. He doesn't actually belong to anything yet- but I had fun doodling~  
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DoKekukV4AAAyzW.jpg


	55. Surge : 8 : Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my ninjas~
> 
> Surge is pretty distracted in most of this chapter- so zombie typical horror?
> 
> (how the hell did we hit 1500 hits?! my mind is still blown, thank you guys!!)

Surge moved with the new squad. Rachael was with him, she was the only familiar face at the moment. The other two, he hadn’t even gotten their names. They introduced themselves, but he was distracted. Hunger churned in his gut, cutting straight through any thought he tried to string together. He had to get to the mouth of the river- hopefully find untainted water. His mission had become a broken mantra. 

He caught himself staring at an alpha’s mating mark, wishing he could have been the one to sink his teeth into that flesh. The skin was tanned perfectly from the sun, his loose fitted uniform kept trying to slip off of a shoulder. Lust? Surge was trying to find a way to compare this new found impulse. It had the drag of lust- that all encompassing pull towards the other. But the emptiness was in his gut, the longing was at his phantom limb of his jaw. 

Surge slowed his pace to give himself distance between himself and the impulse’s target. He needed to get a grip on himself. Whether or not this is a disease, something he couldn’t really be blamed for: Surge wanted to be better than that. He had his mind intact- he would fight to keep it that way. 

They made it to the bank, that ever present oil glimmering up at them. Rachael had a strange look on her face as she was studying Surge. He had been acting off the entire walk out here. The other two didn’t have nearly enough interaction with the dead to know what was normal. 

Surge waded straight into the current, stopping halfway. Just to feel the cool streams weave between his limbs. This was something he and his brother had done thousands of times. During the summer heat- the best part of the year. Just being assholes in the local river. Surge was human, once upon a time. Perhaps if he could keep reminding himself that.

His sight snapped towards the opposite side of the river before he could gather why. The voices behind him were ignored, his body moved without his input. That instinct had finally overcome him, Surge was forced to watch as his lurching frame waded from the water into the forest line. A survivor came into view. He looked battered- close to death already. He couldn’t have been from the settlement. Another one? Was there another group somewhere near here?

The man’s gun clicked uselessly. Surge realized that he was at the wrong end of the empty handgun. He was nothing more than a nightmare to this man. Alpha? A young alpha, Surge vaguely registered, like himself. He didn’t seem to have a handle on shifting quite yet- his grimace fazed back and forth rhythmically between fangs and dull, broken teeth. 

With a will Surge never realized he possessed, he stopped. He was barely two feet from the trapped alpha. The boy’s leg was messed up… not just messed up, gone. Surge couldn’t. He refused to become… that.  
He commanded his body to respond to him. Move away from the kid. In the recess of his mind- he wanted to bring him to the group. No one deserved to be left in the middle of legit nowhere, missing one of his legs. Food, Surge had to find something to tame this god damning hunger first. 

Surge forcibly turned himself away from the survivor. If the man was making a sound- Surge was deaf to it. He couldn’t afford for his attention to be turned back to the easy meal. The fresh meat, that fluttering heart of a man that was probably going to die anyway. He was probably a few hours away of becoming a zombie. 

No, Surge stopped his hand that was reaching for that flesh. His complexion was pale from blood loss, his eyes uneven from shock. 

“Stop.” Surge mentally screamed at himself, over and over until he felt in control again. Just walk the fuck away. 

Deeper into the forest line, Surge came across a pile of zombie bodies. A… pile. A weather worn farmhouse was squat in the condensed area, what may have been fields were now a maze of trash and barbed wire. The scent of blood hung heavy in the air- Surge could pick out scents of the living among it. Scared, easy targets; like the boy he had to force himself to walk away from. The oldest, most permanent scent here was undoubtedly alpha. Angry, hostile, this was his land. 

Surge quietly moved to the pile of bodies. Finding that most of them were under decayed, but each one was missing limbs. Some more than others, but the cuts were uniform. Just as Surge dug his knife into the ribcage of an easily accessible corpse, an enraged howl echoed from the house. Changing plans, Surge pulled at an arm that hung limply from a wedged dead. He would take the limb with him- screw that.

Screw this whole place.

Surge didn’t want to entertain the thoughts of what was going on here. Finding a living- a survivor- with the same wounds as the dead. It didn’t take too much to figure out that the zombies weren’t the only ones cannibalizing. The dead didn’t expect to be shown mercy from such a man. 

The weakened dead ran with all the strength he could. An arm flopped morbidly in his grasp as the ground moved under him. That alpha scent had spiked dangerously. Who ever they were, whatever they had become, was more of a monster than Surge could ever be. 

He was traveling back towards his group. That alpha was still laying where Surge had left him- no where near far enough to not be found. The boy screamed when he saw the fast approaching zombie, fair enough in all honesty. Surge grabbed the man’s struggling bicep- pulling him up the best decaying strength could. 

The young alpha screamed in pain as his only leg floundered helplessly beneath him. Surge’s heart went out to the kid, but there were more pressing matters. The squad had functioning guns- getting into their sight was his top priority. 

The two broke the line of dying trees, Surge barely remembering to stop before he dragged his charge into the radioactive water. He forced his hold to release the man, his attention turned back towards the hunting alpha. Somewhere back there that creature was lurking: there was a good chance that he heard the boy’s cries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosities~ 
> 
> feel free to rage in the comments.


	56. Surge : 9 : Caught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back my ninjas~
> 
> So I know where I want this to go- but I Severely underestimated how long it would take me to get to that point. Chances are I will be finding a good point to let off then picking it up after I touch base with a few other ideas.

Surge was fixated on the surroundings. Every ounce of awareness he had was focused on locating that deranged monster. The arm felt like a lifeline in his grip- with its presence he was able to coax back the instinct to attack. At any point, he could kneel down and satiate that part of himself. There was more pressing matters at hand, however. The two men were calling from across the river, Rachael was yelling for Surge.

“What’s back there?” her voice carried, their resident dead lifted his knife, pointing it to the path they had come from. He couldn’t see the thing yet- but he could hear it’s movements now. The scent of alpha was starting to entangle with the air. It knew where the escapee had come. Surge was worried about it trying to pick at the settlement that wasn’t far enough away. The lively hood Lance was trying to fortify could be torn apart by other survivors, not just the dead.

The two men with them must have scented what Surge wished he could put into words. Their rifles went up fluidly, their eyes rimmed with a dangerous red from their efforts to let their sight pierce the dark. 

A roar shook the air. Surge snatched the dying alpha by his arms, he had a slim chance of living as it was. The contamination of the water wasn’t going to do any worse for him. He would be a zombie in a matter of hours.

Surge tried to not think about having to put another dead down. They would have a better chance of living on the opposite side. 

Gunfire erupted when Surge was a touch more than halfway across the current, the survivor’s arm was over Surge’s shoulders. His head was lolling, but at least his face was over the water. That creature looked like a gargoyle. His eyes were eaten by red, no irises were left as the glowing orbs narrowed on the escapee. Another roar shook the earth, his steps carving into the terrane. His chest and forehead was bleeding from where the soldiers had struck him. The thing didn’t seem to notice. Surge wondered if he hadn’t already turned. 

The zombie dropped the man on the shore. The arm for later joining him on the rocky sand. The alpha burst over the land, fully unaffected by the metal that was embedding itself into him. Surge lifted his knife, his eyes narrowing on the task at hand. 

The alpha dropped his weight, claws dangerously close to the survivor’s side. Surge twisted his body, the knife embedding into the back of the monster’s neck. Surge was thrown to the side by a clawed arm. Water engulfed him, sucking him under until he was able to thrash to the surface. 

The alpha was clawing at his own nape. So close- yet so far. Surge waded through the current, watching the feral creature. He needed to sever the spine. Maybe one of the others will be able to place a skilled bullet right through the cerebellum. Panic was in their expressions. They were running on luck at this point. 

The creature lifted the dying survivor with one over-sized palm. His claws dug unforgivably into the fragile flesh- the three soldier’s gunfire didn’t relent. 

One of the rounds struck home before he could close the distance. His large body crumpling all at once. 

“Everyone good?” one of the men barked, his red rimmed eyes still flickering over every movement around them. 

“I’m good.” the other man echoed, his red eyes following suit. Rachael had her rifle focused on the stock still body as she approached. The man in his clutch had fallen completely into shock. What ever will he had to survive was drained from the ordeal. 

She rolled him to his side, searching him for any new wounds- not that the gaping hole on his hip was anything minor.

“Can you hear me?” she had soften her voice, the man curled tighter in on himself. He wasn’t going to make it. Surge knew it in his bones- he could totally indulge and…

No. where’s that goddamned arm?!

Surge grasped the limb as soon as it was in is sight- he had forgotten the others were even present. He clawed at the zipper of his mask. Tearing into the rotting meat as soon as he was capable. His eyes were kept low on his meal as he slowly fed himself the bits. The shaking and the thoughts were starting to slow. Thankfully. Mercifully. 

He dropped the bones to the shore once he was finished. The mask was laying abandoned on the shale shore. Surge didn’t need to look up to know that all of their eyes were on him. He was super aware of them now. 

They knew his worst secret. He had to, Surge tried to reason with himself, he really wanted to do something he could never forgive himself for. The zombie slowly got to his feet, lifting the heavy leather from the sand. 

He turned to the river without looking up at the squad. The water felt good on his flesh, a part of his hoped the radiation would kill him before he had to face the survivors. The water turned sickening shades of orange as the zombie rinsed his face. He took his time to clean off the crevasses of the leather. Mentally ignoring the survivors’ existences, he weighed his chances if he just booked it into the forest. 

They had seen him, in all of his grotesque glory. 

The boy Surge had found managed to stay alive. By some grace of gods, he kept his pulse going and his breath steady. He was slouched limply on the back of one of the guys. Rachael was holding the front- waving to the gates as the wall guards came into view. 

Lance was stationed to greet them as he normally was. His brows scrunched together at the sight of the newcomer. His expression quickly shifting to disbelief as the alpha laid the boy on the ground. 

“Surge found him,” the man explained. Lance raked his eyes over the youth, kneeling to check his pulse. 

“How is he still alive?” he muttered, turning the youth’s face to look him over. He had fallen unconscious on the track back. 

“We shouldn’t head west any more.” Rachael suggested, “There’s shit going on over there that we don’t need any part of.”

“Get Cynthia up here.” Lance commanded to someone standing below. He turned back to the kid with his teeth fitting together. 

“Is whoever responsible for this dead?” Lance’s tone revealed a side of him that Surge did not want to meet.

“Yes.” Rachael nodded, “It was an alpha, fully shifted and turned. It was… the thing was a nightmare.” 

“Try to get some rest.” Lance growled, his arms starting to thread under the youth. “I’ll see that this one is tended to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll do my best to make the next chapter the last chapter. For now.
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosities~
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments.


	57. Surge : 10 : Scritches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to get this character into the story before I let off. He's a good boy- don't worry too much.

Lance sat on the windowsill of the kid’s room. Cynthia had done all she could for this runt. She mumbled something about the main arteries had been cauterized already, probably when the leg was taken. That would explain how he was still breathing. 

The kid really wasn’t resting. If Lance could, he would have scruffed the kid hours ago to help him lie still. The worst reaction thus far was towards Lance himself. He wasn’t exactly a slight alpha. The kid screamed when he came to- seeing Lance for the first time. Since then he’s been lingering on the edges of the room. He didn’t want the vulnerable little alpha out of his sight. 

Surge was upgraded to a handgun. The icy metal was heavy on his hip, something so foreign to him that he felt like he was going to royally screw it up. He never touched a gun before. He grasped the idea that it was the best way to protect himself and those around him- but he’s seen enough movies to know that guns are unpredictable. 

He’s been reassured that it wouldn’t go off if he dropped it. They demonstrated by smacking the side of the muzzle against the wall. Surge cringed every time. 

None of them have brought up that he’s missing half of his face. 

He didn’t know if it was relieving, or if it was a slow torture. Everyone he made eye contact with he ducked away as soon as he could. The mask felt like it was hiding nothing anymore. His facade of being human was shaky at best- now it had toppled like a house of cards. Surge had almost attacked a survivor. It was only a matter of time before that kid talks: if he lives. What difference would it make if they killed Surge? Surge is already dead. He knows he’s just postponing the inevitable. 

Surge rounded a neighborhood with a slow gait. The clouds began to swirl over head in the brewing of another storm. At this point- Surge was more making sure that everyone had somewhere to take shelter than he was checking for infiltrating dead. 

The residential zombie took shelter with four other soldiers. They heard only that Surge had saved the kid earlier- so to his surprise- he only got praise from the surrounding fighters. He looked guiltily between the smiling faces. They don’t know the half of the story. 

Rain dropped in a monsoon. The thunder rolled in a distance, the worst of it hadn’t even come yet. Hell, at this rate, they’re going to have to swim in the streets. Surge was able to pick out desperate scratching from the rush of rain. A dog’s pain filled howl echoed. A dog? Surge was on his feet before he could think. He knew human lives were more valuable. By the books human lives were the most important- but it’s a dog! Who would ignore a pooch to die in the liquid hell?

Acid seeped into Surge’s dying flesh. The rain was relentless as he focused on finding where the dog’s efforts were coming from. Surge didn’t expect to see the mange ridden skeleton that was attempting to burrow himself into a closed shop. 

Surge clapped his hands as he walked, the dog immediately lifted his head towards the sound. He thought he had made the gravest mistake when the dead dog bolted towards him. Instead, the cumbersome head pressed against Surge’s thigh, nothing but crying whimpers erupting from his throat.

The dog was like Surge.

The men had a laundry list of things they wanted to snap at Surge. Most of which were from how scared they were that their resident had just ended his own life. When the dog padded his way into the wooden room, they were suddenly silent. 

They shifted between their feet, looking over the two zombies. The dog laid down at Surge’s side, licking at the wounds that was eaten into Surge by the rain. Guilty eyes scanned the room again. He couldn’t have sat in here and listened to the pained wails. He might be on borrowed time- but he had decided long ago that he was going to give as much of that time as he could to help everything else around him. 

The dog had scars littering his body. What ever life he had before all of this didn’t look forgiving. The dead don’t heal, that alone made Surge instantly bond with the half hairless, ugly little angel. 

Surge was woken by Lance. The alpha moved carefully, lifting his hands in surrender as soon as Surge burst to life. The zombie regretted moving so quickly as soon as he saw the flinch in the man. He must have had a rough night. 

The dog that was curled at his side lifted his head, eyeing the alpha wearily. Lance outstretched a hand for him to sniff. The alpha smiled as the dog nuzzled into his fingers. Surge was too busy studying the scarred back of the pooch.All the open wounds from the rain had scarred over. But that’s impossible. 

The dead don’t heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... I am fully aware this a is a mean place to let off- but I let other stories off at bad places as well. So I'll return to this one after I continue a couple others. 
> 
> Two day break as usual~ also. Goretober (digital version of Inktober) is starting soon if not already started. I'll try to post often but I don't know how regularly it'll be. I take forever to do drawings and I need to do one a day for this challenge. 
> 
> All the things will be posted on Twitter if you want to be nosey, or with every update I can post links in the notes. Only if your curious~
> 
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/MsAkarazu
> 
> Thank you for your continued support  
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	58. Aida : 1 : Stud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new-ish story line.
> 
> Okay: I've never done something like this so prepare for confusion. Multiple points of view with two different story-lines going on that are related. Good luck, All questions will be taken in the comments.

“Everytime you call his cell, you could be making it worse.” Aden leaned on the counter of the coffee shop. His twin looked guilty as he glanced up from his phone. 

“That officer said there was no trace of an omega in the apartment. What if we’re already too late!?” Aida’s voice wobbled. Reyne and Grey were in each other's arms, Reyne wasn’t handling the situation well. 

“I didn’t even get a chance to apologize to him.” Reyne mumbled into Grey’s uniform. The burly alpha hushed his husband. Whispering something about not talking like that. 

“Sky’s been through worse- he’s a strong kid.” Grey grunted, looking between the two albino alphas. “I’ll go pay Zyane a visit. See if I can beat some sense into him.”

“Did you know he got kicked off campus? I… I looked him up- he’s tried this shit before apparently.” Aida pulled his phone back out- tapping to find that news article. “You said he’s from Indiana, yeah? Well. there’s a Z. Howard that was a person of interest in the murder of an omega.” Aida handed the article to whoever reaches out first. “He was the guy’s alpha. But. they couldn’t find anything concrete.”

“Once you think you know a guy.” Grey growled, Reyne’s stance sunk lower at the sound. “I’m heading over there.” 

____________________

Gene was half asleep with his head on the desk. He was pretty sure a pen had embedded itself into his forehead- but he didn’t really give two shits at the moment.

Jaydon had gone into heat. Now sleep wasn’t a thing Gene had the privilege of having. Both Jovans had offered for him to take the week off- Gene would never tell Jay that though: he was recouping at work. 

“Are you going to be making out with the wood all day?” Geo smirked as he leaned on the doorway. Gene help up a weak thumbs up before letting his hand fall limply to the desk. He wasn’t even in the mood to retaliate. 

“Let the stud sleep.” another voice chuckled, “We just got another order.” 

“He knows we’re a shipping company and not a moving service, right?” Geo whined.

“If he really wants to pay to have his apartment shipped, then all the power to him.” the second voice leaned into the room, Rome. Right, that was the kid everyone was worried about. Gene wasn’t sure what the whole story was- but at least he was breathing. “Hey, omega. Would you mind if I borrowed your nose? The shit this guy wants us to move smells fuckin’ weird.” 

“And you want a second opinion why?” Gene didn’t bother raising his head, as soon as he roused himself enough to answer, that sleep was right back trying to lull him back under. 

“This prick is a bachelor alpha with nothing that looks like it belongs to an omega. But, I don’t know. Something’s wrong.” Rome wasn’t brave enough to infiltrate the omega’s office. Last time someone did- they earned a face full of flying office supplies. The black and white painted omega dragged himself to his feet. His black eyes burning into the two that dared bother his slumber as he willed himself into the hallway. 

Eugene wrinkled his nose as soon as he stepped into the warehouse. Something was definitely wrong. The last time he scented this- he had just found Quintin. 

Jovan Senior paced into the room. His brow arched in suspicion of the standstill that Eugene had caused. He was currently tearing into the boxes that had just arrived. Every so often he would bury his nose into a shirt, or sniff at a decoration with the a crossed look in his eyes.

“What the actual fuck are you doing?” he grumbled, looking to his son for an explanation- Junior just shrugged. 

“An omega is not okay.” Gene rushed his words, pawing farther into a box he had torn open.

“And this helps how?” the father tilted his head. Omegas were so fucking weird. 

Gene pulled a set of metal handcuffs from within a wad of clothing. He stuffed the iron against his nose, his eyes widening.

“Blood.” Gene barked, holding out the set for everyone to see. They were unsettling to find, but it wasn’t that unusual. 

“Eugene, don’t you think you’re overreacting?” Geo actually winced at the glare that Gene shot at him. 

“I’m sorry, I know first fucking hand what it’s like to be an omega, almighty alpha cuckwad.” Gene snarled, almost running to the packages he hadn’t torn into quite yet. 

“He’s going to be coming in to pay us. Should I be worried that you will be assaulting him?” Senior tried to block the omega’s advancements.

“If the omega is with him- yes.” Gene challenged those grey eyes. There was no reason someone should be subject to what he was finding hints to. Gene would gladly deck the bastard. 

“You really think you’ll be able to fix it?” the father grasped the omega’s shoulder, trying to get Gene to look him in the eye. “Gene, I get you’re a firecracker, but you’ve got to think this through.”

“I’ve seen first hand the worst of this society. Do you really think I’ll just sit by?” the omega growled with an authority that bordered an alpha. Father hummed carefully, seeing the absolute rage in those demonic irises. 

“I can try to separate the two. If you promise to not go out of your way to pick a fight.” Jovan Senior looked over the other alphas that lingered in the warehouse. All of them held at bay by a single omega. “And you have to repack what you’ve uprooted.” 

Gene nodded, dropping a fist full of cloth into a random box. That would work. Better than just jumping onto the prick’s back and trying to gouge out his eyes. 

____________________

Aden nearly knocked his chair over when Grey and Reyne returned. Grey was sporting a new bruise across his jaw. His eyes were red rimmed with rage. Reyne was clinging to his arm, mumbling nonsense.

“The fuck happened?” Aida snapped, nearly tripping over the barstool as he approached the couple. 

“Zyane just took off with Sky.” Grey’s voice was gravel from shifting. “I lost sight of them, fuck knows where they’re going.” 

“Just gone?” Aden’s hands clawed as he wrapped his head around everything. Skylar was gone with an alpha that’s already been questioned for murder. “Why are we standing around?” Aden fitted his jaw in a snarl. 

“How do you prospect we search an entire city?” Aida challenged his brother. 

“He doesn’t have a licence.” Reyne tried to speak up. “If he wants out of the city- chances are he’ll take a train.” 

“Could he really expect Sky to stay silent on a train ride?” Aden pulled out his phone, he was flipping through his contacts for any alphas he could trust. Most of which worked at RowlKin with him. 

“If he’s scruffed, yeah.” Grey grasped tighter around his omega. He knew Reyne was okay- but Grey nearly lost it when Zyane had punched him. 

“Four others will be helping us take a look around.” Aden announced while he was mass texting. Aida looked over his twin’s shoulder, smiling shallowly.

“Split up and check out everything?” Aida tipped his head to Grey and Reyne. The two nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the chaos begin!
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosities,  
> feel free to rage in the comments~


	59. Aida : 2 : Dipshit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and it continues. Don't worry: I won't be dangling Sky over hell for too long.

Severian got the message as he was pacing back to his car. He swore under his breath when he saw how absolutely panicked the twins were. He tapped out a phone number before he rounded the side of his vehicle.

“Yes?” the solid voice greeted coldly.

“Put a warning out on a…” he tapped over the the group chat, “Zyane Howard for me. He seems to have a violent history and just ghosted with an omega.” Sev sank in his driver seat, taking inventory of his supply.

“Zyane R. Howard from Richville Indiana. Moved to our corner of the world two years ago. Had aggravated battery in university… I’ll send out a memo for all the transport to delay anything he tries to get on.” Lance reported, Sev could hear him conversing with Zen in the background. Lance owed Severian multiple favors- he could do this much for him. 

“Buzz me if you find anything, Sugar-lips.” Sev purred.

____________________

No one needed to tell Gene that the alpha of the hour had arrived. That stink filtered through the hallway like smog. Jovan Senior pressed the omega back out from the line of sight.

“Remember what I said.” He warned lowly, turning his grey eyes to the green haired tower of dickwad. His omega was standing behind him. Not making eye contact with anyone. The little thing seemed to want to shrink himself to the point of disappearing. 

“No omegas in this establishment, put that thing outside.” the father barked before even acknowledging the alpha as a potential customer. The alpha’s hazel eyes hardened on the owner, sweeping back to the omega behind him.

“It stays with me.” the alpha’s teeth were already sharpening from the elder’s comment.

“He can wait outside.” Jovan Senior clicked his jaw. “Sweet scented fucks like him send my workers into a frenzy. I need them to do their fucking jobs.” as if to support the alpha’s words, the alphas on staff were starting to pile at the entrance of the warehouse. 

“Outside.” the alpha growled in a command, the little omega flinched hard before sprinting to the doorway. 

“I can easily take my business elsewhere.” the green alpha warned, while regarding the owner. Jovan smirked, the muscles of his jaw working.

“Your stuff is already here and loaded. You can either pay, or we can bring it to the local auction house and see if there’s anything worthwhile in your trash.” 

Eugene had snuck out the back entrance and was creeping through the alleyway to the main road. The omega burst from the shop door, stumbling a few more steps before falling to his knees by the wall. 

“Hey.” Gene slipped to the omega’s side. “You okay?” No, clearly the omega was not okay. He shook his head yes. Still refusing to look Gene in the face.

“Come on, I can get you out of here.” Gene took hold of the little omega’s hand. He resembled Quin so closely that is was turning Gene’s stomach. He shook his head “no” firmly. He pulled against Gene’s hold as if it was burning him. 

“Little omega.” Eugene’s voice hardened. “You’re okay now, let me get you to a safe place.” Those blue orbs finally looked over Gene’s face. Eugene tried to smile reassuringly, his ears were straining to hear the conversation between the two alphas just on the other side of that wall. He had to get this omega out of sight, quickly. 

“Lets go. Follow me.” Gene barked on a controlled breath. They didn’t have time for the little omega to deal with the knot tangled in his thoughts. The firebreather pulled the little one to his feet, urging him to come with him. The omega didn’t seem to have a full grasp of what was going on around him- he ended up following Gene while mumbling nonsense. Gene rushed him into the alleyway. When the door of the shop opened, Gene pushed the omega in front of himself, still trying to make it to the loading dock.

“Kneel.” the command echoed in the close quarters. The omega Gene was trying to smuggle away fell to his knees mid step. The weight of the word tugged at Gene, but not enough to cause him to obey. The same command boomed again. Little one pressed his forehead to the abused gravel in an attempt to appease the enraged alpha. 

Eugene turned to face that green haired punk. Alpha was pure fury, his muscles rippling as he stalked forward. Everything he barked was in a command, the pulses pushing his own omega farther into the ground. Eugene stood his ground, staring the demon in the eye even when he moved right in the omega’s face.

“Down.” the alpha growled darkly. Gene tipped his head in defiance, his fist landing firmly on that smug jawline. The alpha stumbled out of shock. His voice hitching for once as he regained his balance.

“You little shit.” He hissed, looking incredulously at Eugene. Jovan Junior had joined the little group in the suddenly claustrophobic space. Rome’s voice carried over the feral growls, Gene let his attention drop to the trembling omega. This wasn’t a place for a battered anyone. Gene hitched the omega’s arm over his shoulder forced him to stand. 

____________________

Aida paced the length of the station. His sight scanned each face he could make out. A green haired tower shouldn’t be this hard to pick out. His phone was in his fist, he didn’t want to miss a single update from any of the others. Eight people are actively looking for this kid. Someone has to know something. 

Aden stalked the street in front of Zyane’s apartment. So many people crossed this way it was nearly impossible to pick out any individual scent. Any lingering residue of Sky or Zyane would be swept away with the afternoon crowd. He wasn’t fully aware that his eyes had shifted to a ruby red until an omega was captured under those irises. It wasn’t Sky, but he had the misfortune of looking like him.

____________________

Eugene ushered the shaking frame into his office. The minimal room offered some form of security, the door at least could be locked. The alphas could be heard brawling in the back of the shop, Gene tried to find focus in the kid’s fogged blue eyes. He looked just a hair younger than Jaydon. 

“Hey kid.” Gene purred carefully, offering the skittish omega his coat to wrap up in. He rocked in place, mumbling nonsense to himself. Gene could make out something about “Alpha’s going to be mad, It’s my fault.” 

Gene bit against bile as he threaded his fingers through the kid’s long dark hair. When was the last time he had washed it? 

“It’s okay.” Gene continued that purr. “Is there someone we can call?” That earned the omega’s attention. He looked skeptically between Gene’s dark eyes. His mouth working without actually forming words.

“I’m Eugene, may I have your name?” Gene coaxed again, tucking the omega deeper into the coat. 

“Skylar.” he croaked. Gene hushed the whine that whistled between Sky's teeth when the alpha’s fighting grew louder. 

“Is there someone I can call for you, Skylar?” 

The omega took the offered phone with shaking hands. He glanced around himself, just making sure all the monsters were still outside of the room. Gene hushed under his breath, trying to encourage the little one that it was okay. Yeah. Sky is just like how Quintin was. 

Sky managed to type out the numbers, he seemed to hold his breath as he waited for the ringing to be picked up.

“I’m in the middle of something, Daddy.” the voice growled over the speaker. “What is it?” Sky flinched hard, the phone falling the short distance to the tile flooring. Gene reached for the phone as he tucked Sky against his chest in an attempt to settle the looming panic attack.

“This is Eugene Griffith,” Gene started, being interrupted by a scoff.

“I know who you are dipshit, what’s going on?” 

“Wait… Aida?!” Gene squeaked. Skylar curled tighter in the omega’s hold, Gene rocked him without realizing exactly when he had started.

“Who did you think you called?! Look, I’m looking for a friend- I don’t have time for your shit today.” Aida’s voice gave away his pending shift. There wasn’t a doubt in Gene’s mind that he had already morphed minorly- now was pending the full feral beast.

“Skylar’s with me. He’s the one that called you.” Gene rushed to explain. The omega wrapped under his arm couldn’t handle anymore yelling. 

“Where are you? Are you guys safe?! That fucking alpha Zyane will hurt you Gene- don’t pull any of your antics!” Aida sounded like he was running, possibly pushing people out of his way.

Aida almost broke into tears of relief when he hung up the call. Skylar was safe. With one of the most protective- albeit hot headed- omegas he knew. Once he regained his breath, he called his brother. They were going to go to Gene’s work to pick up their little bundle of strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still trying to figure out this kind of writing- I've seen books pull it off really well, but I get tangled up in my own storylines. 
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosity,
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments.


	60. Aida : 3 : Taken' care of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, they say it takes 60 days to form a habit. this is chapter 60... The internet might be stuck with me after all.
> 
> (I'm late today because I got sucked into drawing. I'm doing that Goretober thing, remember? Yeah it took longer than I realized today. compilation style speed paint video tomorrow for anyone who's intrested!)

Aida, Aden, Grey, and Reyne nearly crushed each other trying to get through the shop’s door all at once. Both Jovans steeled themselves at the greeting desk. They were told that Skylar’s friend’s were coming, it didn’t make it any easier to see alphas come into the shop. Jovan Junior was shocked to see familiar faces. 

“Don’t you two work with Jay?” the black haired alpha studied the albino twins. He had seen them before in Gene and Jay’s apartment. 

“Where’s Sky?” Aida chirped, Aden just half a beat behind him. The lanky omega that tailed them nearly shoved the two out of his way- his voice shouting for Skylar. 

Gene was sat on the floor with Skylar leaning on his side. The omega really didn’t want to be held- but he was afraid to be alone. Reyne burst through the door, his movements a blur until he had Skylar wrapped firmly in his arms. He was mumbling in Skylar’s ear as he tucked the little omega closer to his chest.

“Thank you.” the taller omega smiled wryly. Gene nodded slightly, turning his attention to the approaching twins.

“I swear to god, I’ll be watching you two.” Gene growled through a smirk. “You had better take care of Skylar.” 

“Should we be thankful you didn’t just hide him away like you have before?” the look in Aden’s eyes gave away how much stress he had been under. Gene even remembers Jay voicing that something was going on with the guys at work.

“I don’t think you realize the level of murdered I would be if I brought home another omega at the moment.” Gene snorted lightly, happy to see that ghost of a smile on the twin’s faces. 

____________________

Jaydon was curled up in his nest when he heard the apartment door open. He promptly started whimpering, trying to lure his omega back into his nest with him. Gene smiled softly, moving across the bedroom to greet is love with a kiss.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” Gene purred, fixing the sweaty hair off of Jay’s forehead. “Something came up- I couldn’t leave.” 

“You smell like an omega.” Jay growled playfully, but his eyes still narrowed as he took a better sniff of his mate.

“I did not fuck another omega.” Gene clarified before his mate could begin spinning scenarios. “He was in trouble, but he’s with friends now.” Jay didn’t really vocally respond, he just pulled Gene farther into the nest and began to nibble at his mate’s throat.

Heat was unbearable when Gene left. Jay hated that he had to go into work. Alphas got their omega’s heats off all the time. He had already made a mental note to give the Jovans a piece of his mind. Until then, he just wanted to be tangled up with his lover. 

____________________

The group had returned to Reyne’s coffee shop. Skylar was sat on one of the booths, currently buried in multiple layers of multiple people’s coats. Reyne hadn’t left the omega’s side ever since Sky was in his sight. Reyne purred apologies, promises, anything that he thought Sky might need to hear.

The only reason they had gone to the coffee shop was because this is where everyone had parked their cars. Skylar was shivering incessantly now. All of the commands that he had been subject to were bubbling to the surface. It seemed to be too much for his fragile sanity. 

Skylar had been beaten down. His dynamic manipulated against him. Reyne nuzzled against his throat, trying to mask Zyane’s lingering scent. The twins looked more like lost puppies than great alphas, pawing softly for Sky’s hands every time Reyne wasn’t looking. Eventually Reyne had to forfeit to the others. The twins fumbled over each other as they looked over Sky with a fine toothed comb. They were searching the omega for every bruise or mark that he had acquired from the past few weeks. When Severian pressed an open mouthed kiss to the omega’s wrist gland, the final wall of reserve the omega had cracked. He whined unchecked as he wasted what little breath he could gather. His shaking bordered seizing, his mouth watered from the lack of air. 

“You need to breathe, little omega.” Sev released the wrist in favor or cupping Sky’s cheek. Reyne all but put Sky on his lap while repeating Severian’s words over, and over. Panic attacks were always a bitch. 

Aida took the omega’s shoulder in a hand, pulling so that he was sat up so his lungs could actually expand. Skylar leaned forward with his forehead pressed to an albino chest, the twins looked like bookends on either side of the dropping omega. They were whispering in his ears. It was all more of the same for Sky it seems. Something would happen that pushed him to a ledge: only to be found by another alpha- or in this case, alphas- until that falls apart into a nightmare. 

Rinse and repeat. 

Severian seemed almost distracted by the glass face of the store. Icy rain had started to pour and had prematurely darkened the atmosphere. All at once he came back to life, his purple eyes tallying the occupancy of the room.

“Why don’t we move Sky to the back- less… out in the open?” Sev started to search for words. “So it doesn’t feel like the world is watching.” Severian decided that was the best way to phrase it. 

“There’s a couch in the break-room,” Reyne purred carefully. Small spaces. Still, it might help to not be in a fishbowl for all the city to watch. Skylar didn’t exactly answer. When the bodies around him shifted, he grasped blindly as to not fall. 

“Sky I’m borrowing your coat.” Severian announced once they were tucked safely in the back. Knowing eyes burned into him.

“What? I left my car’s windows down.” Sev shrugged, pulling the thing around him. “He’s wearing mine- I get to wear his.” 

“You just want to get Zyane’s stink off of it don’t you?” Grey accused while standing sentinel. Sev shrugged innocently, digging through his pant pocket for his keys.

“Something like that.” 

____________________

Gene had finally gotten Jay to sleep. Granted in doing so he had trapped himself in that vice hold that might as well be Jay’s signature move. He wanted to order food while Jay was napping. Hell knows when the last time his omega had actually eaten. 

Jaydon rarely ever nested- when he did, he never leaves it. Every once in a while he’ll get up to piss, anything other than that he just neglects. The pang of fresh and stale sex and slick clung to their skin. The only thing that’s attempted to tame Jay’s red curls was Gene’s sleepy fingers. He had one, marginally free, hand to work with. The rest of his limbs were entangled in the sleep heavy omega’s grasp. 

Not that Eugene wanted it any other way. 

The morning sun was starting to glare accusingly through the blinds by the time Gene was released from the nest. When he had escaped from the nest- is more like it. Jay groaned his protest all the while, only to nose against Gene’s pillow and curl in the vacant warmth left behind. 

Eugene didn’t even want to look in the mirror. He knew he probably looked like a terrible off-brand of Kiss. His skin would throw it’s hissy fit later on in the form of a riot breakout. 

He entertained the thought of bringing Jay coffee as a peace offering. Then he remembered what Jay would do with the newly fueled energy. The fevered omega needed actual food, not another excuse for more sex. The skunk likes sex as much as the next guy- but he’s fucking tired. Gene checked his phone he had abandoned on the counter the night before. The battery was practically dead- three texts from each half of the twincest. Two texts from an unknown number.

“Aden gave me your number. This is Grey, the ‘bearded bastard’ ” Gene quirked a brow at the comment, smiling selfishly.

“Aida told me you would understand that statement.” was the message sent almost immediately after. Eugene saved Grey’s number under “Fur Coat.”

The twins’ messages were practically replicas of each other. Both of them ranting that Sky was going to be staying with Reyne and Grey. They wanted to personally take care of Skylar but the “Bearded Bastard” insisted that he stay with them. Something about not being pressured into a relationship.They would never do such a thing. 

They were lying to themselves if they thought they weren’t going to court the fucking hell out of that omega. It’s going to be almost amusing to watch as the twins try to duke it out on “who’s the better half.” Gene barely knew the guy- but he already liked Grey. 

____________________

Skylar woke up in an unfamiliar room. It was kept dark by the curtains, or maybe it was still in the middle of the night? Fur was under his cheek, blankets were god near cocooned around him. At first he was almost afraid to move- he didn’t exactly remember how he had gotten there. When he shifted his head to see if there was a clock somewhere nearby, his pillow started purring. 

The said pillow complained loudly when Sky sat up, staring down at the curled up Siamese. The thin cat chittered as they stretched, their soft ears folding back as the small head bumped firmly against Sky’s chin. Who the hell does he know that owns a cat?

The purr never wavered. The black and white cat continued to nuzzled against Sky’s chest, momentarily tucking itself under his arm. The thing meowed again- a loud drawn out sound. Skylar couldn’t help the impulse to scratch it’s head, finding that they kissed along his fingers all the while they were in reach. 

The small weight settled on the lower of Sky’s back- still vibrating from purring. The omega relented to his tiny captor. He figured that whoever had brought him here would wake him when they were ready for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a disclaimer, I was pretty exhausted as I wrote all of this. I'm sorry if it resembles an acid trip.
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosities~  
> Feel free to rage in the comments!
> 
> Bonus question: We can imagine what Sev's doing- should I elaborate in his next update or are we good with... whatever this is.


	61. Aida : 4 : Poodle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So: I scared myself, thinking that I skipped posting an entire chapter. Not by missing a day, but just skipping over a huge chunk of the story line.
> 
> I didn't. We're fine. Crisis averted. 
> 
> I'm also putting this up "early" because my manager seems to think I'm magically a morning person now. As I'm preparing this posting- I still haven't edited down the video I kind'a advertised. But it's currently almost 3 am and I have work in a few hours.
> 
> We'll see. (ha, and you guys thought the 3 am postings stopped)

Skylar woke once again to the cat’s yelling. He could feel the light weight of the feline on the very edge of the bed, their meows growing demanding. A glass ticked on the side table, earning Skylar’s complete attention. 

“Reyne?!” Sky’s voice cracked as he looked over the sneaking omega. The man looked almost guilty for waking Sky before he schooled himself into a soft smile.

“Good morning, Sleepy.” Reyne lowered a hand to the siamese, who proceeded to rub full bodily against it. “I assume you’ve already met Skechers?” Sky nodded dumbly, taking in the surrounding room once again.

“Where,” Sky croaked, clutching the blankets to his bare chest. He didn’t want to know if his lower half was nude as well.

“Grey and my’s apartment.” Reyne sat on the ledge of the bed, his lap quickly occupied by the demanding, lean Skechers.

“Alpha?” the question couldn’t take on the form of a whole sentence, Sky wasn’t strong enough for that yet.

“Zyane’s… I don’t know where he is- but he is not here.” Reyne tried to convince the omega that everything was okay. It’s over now. 

“Are you going to… I don’t know. Expect… that from me?” those blue eyes drifted everywhere around the room, never quite landing on the darker man’s face.

“Grey told me what I did. I’m so sorry, Sky. Look at me- I wasn’t in my right mind. God, I know that’s not an excuse at all, but… I would never…” Reyne stopped himself from pulling the smaller omega into a hug. Sky nodded minutely, studying ever detail of his surroundings for the tenth or so time. The room was simple- well kept. It was definitely the couple’s bedroom. 

“I didn’t mean to kick you guys out of your bed.” Skylar mumbled, that was quickly dismissed. Reyne promised that they fall asleep on the couch more often than not. Grey appeared in the doorway, his movements stayed slow and careful as he greeted the two omegas. 

“Thought I heard voices.” he hid his lips in his beard, moving just a step or two into the room. “I made pancakes. If anyone’s hungry.” 

____________________

Gene held a plate of scrambled eggs and slightly burned sausages in one hand while trying to mimic Jay’s “two glasses in one hand” maneuver with the other. He found himself freezing every other step- his heated glare daring the glass to slip. He’s seen the workers take three, some can palm four, glasses at a time. How the actual hell? No wonder TenPoint was always screaming about workers breaking crap. 

Jay lifted his head with a purr as soon as Gene was in the room. It took him a few seconds to realize that Gene was coming with food. Gene stretched out the unbalanced hand of juice with a little whine of “help.” Jay chuckled to himself as he rescued his mate.

“You were doing it wrong.” Jay supplied through a smirk. 

“I got it here.” Gene pointed out as he curled his legs underneath himself to share the overfilled plate with Jaydon.

“I could’a taken two plates as well.” Jay gloated. “But I would’a totally needed help to load and unload the things.” 

“Anyone leave you trapped before?” Gene tried to not make a face at how much ketchup Jay uses on his half of the eggs. 

“Aida’s a jackoff. He told me it was a training thing, I had four salads on one arm and three drinks on the other. Then he walks away.” Jay snorted, popping a sausage in his lips. “I’s standing there like, Okay, BYE!” 

“Oh, and there’s this time. Damn they got me good.” Jay waved like a flightless bird, the fork quickly becoming a projectile risk. “If you ever serve. Do not change the hot water. It’s hooked directly to the fucking lake.”

“Lake water?” Gene quirked a brow- questioning every restaurant cup of coffee he’s ever had.

“Like… the water heater. Sure we can run out here- but the stores have heaters that mean fuckin’ business. The hot water wouldn’t even run out for your showers.”

“Speaking of Aida.” Gene was practically just holding the plate for his mate now, he didn’t mind- Jay needed to eat. “Aparently the twinsest set know the omega from last night.” 

“What happen with that?” Jay’s green eyes widened. 

“The kid’s name is Skylar, he really reminded me of Quin.” Gene eyed a little blob of ketchup on the side of Jay’s lip, barely remembering to get back to the story. “He’s with buddies called… well.. I know one’s called Grey.”

“Oh, Grey and Reyne? Yeah, I’ve had drinks with them. They’re good guys.” Jay bounced in place, amazingly not spilling the drink in his hand.

“Well, Sky’s with them now.” Gene shrugged. Did his omega know everyone in the city? Maybe Gene should be hanging out in the RowlKin more often. 

“I know the guys have been super upset about something for a while now. No one ever told me what was going on. They, and I quote, ‘Don’t want Mama and Daddy getting their panties in a bind.’ So. Yeah.” Jay cracked his back, finally looking like he was coming out of that heat induced fog. 

“Mama and Daddy?” Gene snorted. He wasn’t there all that often yet he ends up the Dad of a restaurant staff… wait.

“They love you.” Jay purred, a smirk playing across his expression. Gene caught Jay’s prickly chin between fingers, finally lapping at that teasing blob of tomato.

____________________

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be in work?” Skylar gazed between the two, Grey was wearing most of his syrup in his beard. 

“Sunday.” Reyne chirped between mouthfuls. Right, the shop was closed on Sundays. Sky was more or less chasing his food around his plate. He felt super out of place in the apartment. Despite the two being as sweet as they were, Sky was just an intruder and he knew it. 

“You look like you need to talk. If you want I can drop you two off at that poodle place that Reyne likes.” Grey shrugged, totally not sneaking bacon to Skechers.

“Poodle place?” Sky squeaked.

“It’s a day spa. Oh-so cultured over here calls me a poodle whenever I get my hair done.” Reyne rolled his eyes, waving the alpha’s comment away. The man only snatched the wrist to press a kiss to those skeptical knuckles

“How does it sound? You two have a day, I can go do manly alpha-y things like… wrestling bears, erecting barns and taking out the trash or something.” Grey lost his vigor at the last word, chuckling nervously under the omega’s stares.

“Go get ready to get pampered.” the alpha decided for them. “Maybe I’ll get that wine you like so much, Hun.” the large man ruffled Reyne’s tightly curled locks, braving that glare Reyne was sporting.

____________________

Aida was up and dressed by an ungodly hour of the morning. According to Aden, it was an ungodly hour. One twin was bouncing between his room and the bathroom while the other stared listlessly into an empty cup of soon to be coffee. They needed a new coffee maker- it was taking it was sweet time lately. 

“How can you just sit there?” Aida scoffed, his hair actively being wrangled into some form of a style.

“And where are you going?” Aden yawned, dragging his glass eyes away from the newspaper. “Is that my shirt?!” 

“Mine are dirty.” Aida rolled his eyes, “And don’t you want to go see Skylar?”

“All of your clothes are dirty?” Aden was stuck on the topic.

“Not everyone’s a neurotic clean freak like you, Old Man.” Aida stuck out his tongue, twisting the long half of his shaven hair into a braid. 

“There is a washing machine in the literal hallway.” Aden stood to get the half finished caffeine. “You passed it to get to my room!” 

“Sharing is caring!” Aida shouted back from the said hall. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t tying the hair sideways again. 

“Who said Sky wanted to see us anyway?” Aden called from the kitchen, half expecting his brother to pretend to not have heard him. 

“Why wouldn’t he want to see me? I’m clearly the sexy twin.” Aida strutted into the kitchen to dig through his discarded pile from last night. He had to have put his phone somewhere.

“The only reason your half as good lookin’ as you are is because you take after me.” Aden smirked into his mug, fully ignoring what ever Aida’s scrambled mind could conjure as a recoil. 

____________________

Grey leaned on the steering wheel of his car. Reyne and Sky were tangled in the back. The alpha tried to keep himself as passive as possible, but the scent of panic was starting to eat at his lungs. Skylar was taking a moment to collect himself. The place itself was filled with omegas. There were only four alphas at any given time- each one serving as security. Skylar had a hard time believing that. 

Regret was seeping into Grey’s veins. Whenever Reyne was freaking out over something Grey would always arrange for a spa day. He didn’t even think twice about it for Sky.  
After a pep talk and a few minutes of just pretending the world didn’t exist. Reyne had Sky under his arm and was moving towards the doors. Grey finally rolled his windows down, trying to get a breath of fresh air. He just sat- airing out- as he wrangled that alpha instinct back to the recesses of his mind.

His phone raved in the console, text messages pouring in with a vengeance. He couldn’t help laugh at the albino idiots as they demanded to know where Grey was hiding Skylar. Even going as far as threatening to pluck out his “magnificent beard” one hair at a time until they had Skylar under their eyes. 

“This is why you call before showing up.” Grey typed back, flipping the phone to silent as their rage continued to pour in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosities!
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments, we don't bite here~


	62. Aida : 5 : Ears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge update. that is burning through the nice little cushion that I had prewritten as a safety net for Goretober...  
> I might not be able to post daily this month: but I didn't want to break this up any smaller. as it is I may have people mad at me.
> 
> I guess that's a warning? I don't say "You may be mad" over little things.

“How about we start with somethin’ easy.” Reyne smiled, unable to stop himself before he pressed a kiss to Sky’s temple. “Have you ever had your nails done before?” 

“Only for clients…” Sky’s voice was barely audible. The man standing at the desk diverted his eyes quickly, ducking to the side as if something had suddenly gained his attention. Both omega’s were thankful for the gesture. 

“This is for you.” Reyne purred, squeezing Sky’s chilled hands until he was able to raise his blue eyes from the ground. 

“Besides, I’ll be right next to you all day.” Reyne curled an arm around Sky’s hip, the taller omega summoning the retreated secretary’s attention. Within a few sentences the two omegas were lead down the elaborate hallway, Skylar looked around himself with that look of fear straining the edges of his eyes. Reyne pulled the little omega closer against his side, purring through his chest. 

“You’re safe here,” Reyne murred under his breath, earning a soft nod from the nerve racked omega. They were greeted with smiles, the scent of nail polish swirled in the air thickly as a handful of others were getting their fingers decorated. 

“First time here?” one chirped while he stood to greet the two. Skylar nodded shyly, blanky blinking at the book of designs. 

____________________

Eugene and Jaydon walked pressed against each other’s sides. Jay was happy to be out of the apartment for the first time in a week. Through his exhaustion, Gene was happy for Jay. They were going to the library, like they have done hundreds of times. Gene normally found something interesting and practically finished reading the said thing all the while Jay would be flitting from section to section. 

This time quickly followed suit. Eugene curled himself into a corner table while Jay wandered the nearby shelving. The little gothic recluse was pulled from the novel when Jaydon planted a smooch into the top of his hair. 

“I’m going to go check out upstairs.” Jay whispered, nuzzling right into Gene’s snuggle. 

“I’ll be here.” he promised, earning another quick peck before he watched his redhead rush up the staircase. 

Upstairs held an art gallery that was switched out regularly. Last week the artist was some cliche alpha trying to portray his view of reality. Jay didn’t take any of the imagery as personally offending: but the guy really needed to pull his head out of his own orifice. Seemed like this one wasn’t fully set up yet. Little squat statues littered the ground- still bound in their bubble wrap. Jaydon couldn’t help his curiosity as he eyed the only display that held a resemblance of finished. The little cat sat deviously on the floor by the pedestal. A golden cage holding a carefully sculpted fairy sat high above the feline’s head. Jay hummed his fascination as he carefully edged the wrapped pieces. This exhibit was going to be amazing when it was finished. Not to spoil it for himself anymore, he crept back toward the staircase. 

Gene normally got pretty far in the story before Jay would return with a stack of random bits. This was the first time he had finished a book. He had the book closed in his lap- the bean bag shifted uneasily beneath him as he silently watched the surrounding pedestrians.

He hadn’t really seen anyone go up to the art gallery. It was getting late- what… four… five-ish hours since they had arrived. Perhaps they just closed off the top of the stairs to encourage people to leave by closing hour. 

That was soon wasn’t it?

Jay probably lost track of time again. He has been locked up in the bedroom for a week. Gene groaned as he flailed his way off of the beanbag. The library was suddenly a giant place- so many little nooks they had set up for people just like Eugene to hide in. 

Gene had texted the redhead multiple times now- no answers. Trying to convince himself it wasn’t that big of a deal, Gene figured Jay’s phone was on silent. In his back pocket. It must have been that Jay just didn’t notice the messages yet. This is a library after all, everyone was afraid of making noise. 

Gene had checked all of the down stairs twice. None of his calls or texts were being responded to. He can’t still be upstairs. Even the geekiest art geek couldn’t spend five hours in a local library’s exhibit. The omega padded up the stairs- half expecting to see it roped off. Instead a wave of alpha flooded the air around him. The higher he went, the stronger it seemed. 

Eugene recognized this scent as a knot- it made his stomach sick at work, it’s even worse now. He didn’t even need to look around when he emerged on the floor. The alpha didn’t even try to hide Jay. That pange of possessive, god near rutting alpha was still strong in the air: too strong for him to not still be there. The goth tried to take in every detail of the surroundings. There were boxes everywhere, statues distorted themselves into demons. He couldn’t risk being taken out too. He needed to get to Jay. The red head was stock still where he had been thrown. Gene was straining to scent his mate through the alpha’s musk- but nothing. That could be one of two things: scruffed or killed. 

Gene called Jovan Senior in his panic. Mostly because he had hit redial instead of contacts. He couldn’t call the police. They would be worthless- both of them were unmarked, unattended omegas. Even though they lived together as fucking husbands- they were the strays in the city. Strays were disregarded. Eugene just really needed someone to know where they were: he needed to know that if he was killed- someone would be coming to check on Jaydon. 

“Shipping Corner, Jovan Boothe speaking.” that greying alpha’s voice was too casual for the room. Gene was trembling as he barely kept the phone in his grasp. The alpha sounded confused- perhaps actually checking the caller ID when no one answered. 

“Eugene- You there?” 

The omega knelt by his mate, afraid to touch him. He steeled his voice, reporting where he was with no context to the alpha. The senior was barking commands at him by then. Not that commands worked on Gene- doesn’t he know by now? 

“Please, I can’t tell if he’s…” Gene’s voice finally shattered, the alpha on the other end sounded like he just burst into a shift. 

____________________

Grey was parked outside the spa, the two omegas paced out with their arms linked together. Reyne looked as stunning as ever, but this was the first time Grey had seen Skylar all dolled up. He couldn’t help the smile that lit up his face. Sky and Reyne had matching eyeliner along with matching nails. Other than that- the colors they were painted with shimmered on their complexion perfectly. Grey almost felt guilty by bringing the two right home. They were dressed up like they should be out having a banquet or something. 

Sky looked a touch more relaxed, but it was clear that the day had taken a lot out of the little omega. 

“Aden and Aida are at the apartment, want me to tell them to leave before we get there?” Grey questioned whoever wanted to answer. The couple knew the choice was ultimately up to Skylar: if he actually wanted to deal with company. 

“It’s fine with me.” Sky mumbled, still leaning on Reyne’s shoulder. The darker omega hummed his agreement. The bearded bastard shrugged his indifference. The duo had been hounding him all day to go pick up Sky. They were desperate to see the little dude. Granted, Grey would probably have been the same way with Reyne- even earlier in their relationship. How the hell are they going to handle Sky either choosing one of the dedicated brothers, or neither of them at all?

The two alphas wrapped their arms around Skylar before he could even make it into the apartment. Aida bounced in place while Aden nuzzled his nose right behind the omega’s ear and let out one of those rolling, purring growls. The trapped omega cracked a little smile. Grey snorted to himself, barking playfully for the idiots to let them in. Each twin had a hand as they led the tired omega into the apartment. They bickered passively with one another as they tried to offer everything they could think of to the stuttering omega. 

“Alright, alright.” Reyne clapped his hands, stealing Sky from their grasp when they were sufficiently distracted. “Gods- let the kid breathe would you?” Grey hummed his chuckle as he edged the room. 

“What would our beautiful omegas like for food?” Grey announced, the twins turning towards the alpha for a moment as if they had just realized he was there. 

“I’m sleepy.” Sky mumbled pitifully to Reyne. The other omega nodded his understanding.

“You wanna’ go lay down? Grey and I can go out for a little if you want the place to yourself?” Reyne voice was barely over a whisper. To his surprise, a nervous shiver flooded the omega under his hold.

“Not alone.” Sky sounded like he was pleading. “If you and Grey want to go out though… don’t stay here because of me.” 

“You have two body guards over there that would gladly stay.” Reyne purred, glancing over at the glassy eyes of the questioning defenders. 

“You two have fun.” Sky mumbled, his eyes already sliding shut. Reyne continued his purr when he felt Sky’s weight depend on him just a little more. The little dude had kept it together all day- that must have taken a lot out of him. 

____________________

The father and son took the stairs two at a time. A Librarian had stopped them as they entered: the place was closing in ten minutes. Junior had to explain why they were there, since Senior was still wrestling with his shifted voice. 

Apparently the staff was going to give the omegas five more minutes to leave before they called in handlers. That was ultimately how sex trafficking starts. The elder cleared the floor first- finding the two omegas instantly. He only glanced around for any sign for another alpha. He half figured that whoever did this was long gone by now. 

Eugene had Jay pulled up onto his lap. His black eyes looked fogged over. His face was eerily void of tears. The father motioned for his son to stay back, he was studying Gene. That fire breather could do some serious damage if they spooked him. 

“Eugene.” he let his voice carry the alpha rumble. There was no use in hiding his dynamic at the moment. The omega didn’t react. The elder edged a touch closer, circling until he was sure he was in Gene’s line of sight. 

“Griffith. It’s me. Jovan.” The elder lowered his giant frame, both of his hands held out where Gene could see them. Not that the omega’s eyes had even fidgetted.  
Jay looked like a mess. He was practically naked with a pool of blood formed on the floor beneath the two. The red trademark of abandonment streaked Jay’s face. He was slack in Gene’s lap. If Jovan hadn’t seen that slight rise in his chest- he would have thought the omega as dead.

“Gene, I’m going to touch you. Okay?” the elder snuck a glance at his son before sliding behind the gothic statue. “I’m just going to hold you- so my son can take care of Jaydon. Okay?” 

As soon as Gene felt something touch him- a snarl that definitely belonged on an alpha ripped from his throat. His grip tightened around his mate, his lip lifted as if his canines were about to shift like an alpha’s.

“It’s okay,” Senior whispered repeatedly until the omega eased just a hair. The elder’s palm slipped over Gene’s eyes, pulling him flush with the alpha’s muscle bound torso. Jovan Senior has had to do this a couple times with alphas. It’s a way alpha pups who just discovered shifting would be handled when anger was getting the better of them. He never thought he would resort to such a thing for an omega. He mentally made an effort to not speak the word “omega” to Gene. Something told him that would be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. When he felt the man lean just a hair further into the touch, Jovan nodded to his son to prompt him to approach.

“You know my son.” the elder explained carefully. “He’s going to take care of Jaydon. I need you to stay here with me.” Gene flinched when the other alpha’s hands laid over his own. He was showing him that Jay wasn’t going to fall to the floor. He’s okay- someone was there to help.

Eugene being silent was not a normal thing. As Junior proceeded to wrap Jay in his oversized coat, Senior dipped his nose just behind the fire breather’s ear. Father had to hold in a growl, swallowing thickly instead. It wasn’t here, yet. But that flickering of red was in Gene’s scent. Eugene needed to calm down, quickly. 

“Dad,” the son spoke lowly, holding Jay so that he was sitting up against his chest. Jay’s scruff was bleeding- who ever had done this bit down during a shift. The omega was going to be down for a while. 

“Let’s get them out of here.” the father shifted minutely, studying Gene’s breathing. He couldn’t let the strongest man he knows go red. 

____________________

Skylar woke on the couch, some cop show was playing on low. He wasn’t alone. His head was laid on a lap, he also felt someone was under his knees. The warmth radiating from these people was unreal. A hand was playing passively in his hair, the dull nails massaging against his scalp. He was almost scared back into silence when he realized that the purr was actually coming from his own chest. 

“Hey there sleepy.” one of the two spoke, he was too drowsy to decipher which. Fingers began to massage small circles into his knees as he stretched. Sky glanced at the time on the wall, fear spiking his spine as he threw himself up. He should have had diner done by now. The two sputtered, eyes wide with confusion as they questioned what was happening.

Right. Sky felt blush wash over his face as he forced himself to sit back down. Both leaned on either side of the omega, their heads falling onto his shoulders.

“You okay?” left.

“If you need to talk, we’re right here.” right.

Sky giggled to himself, nesting into the warmth of his defenders. Aden had shifted slightly when Sky moved so suddenly. He still had red ringed irises and dull, pearly fangs slightly poking out at his lower lip . Sky never saw a shift that wasn’t fueled by anger. At least- he hasn’t seen an alpha shift, then proceed to not tear something in half. Sky thumbed the thickened strands of Aden’s hair curiously. The straight locks feeling almost like a bristly dog’s coat more than human. Then he noticed that the alpha’s ears had changed as well. Soft, almost like velvet, fuzz coated the lengthening ear lob. It was so soft it tickled Sky’s fingers- that was the exact reason Sky couldn’t stop playing with it. 

Aden shook his head at the feeling, his brows raising in confusion as Sky continued to mess with is ears. 

“Is there something I can help you with, little omega?” His gravel voice bordered a curious purr. Sky smiled widely, studying everything about of the wolvish detail. 

“It’s so innocent.” Sky chirped. “Every time I see a raging alpha, I’ll probably be giggling about how cute their ears are now.” Aden tipped his head with a playful growl, relenting to the omega’s ministrations. Aida whined, nudging himself into Sky’s side. He had his head tilted dramatically- now he was half shifted and whining that he had the ears too. They just sat there for a while- finishing off the episode. 

“May I borrow someone’s phone?” Sky braved the question when the credits began to flash on the screen- threatening with another episode of the saga. Without a word, both twins had their phones held out for the omega to take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I have a post for tomorrow. No, I wouldn't be that mean on purpose.
> 
> Thank you for putting up with my shit'e 
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments~
> 
> (2 Updates. next chapter is the last chapter of this line. I'm not done with the full story yet, but that's just where my attention span went to another thing. and two Still working on the goretober vid. I SEVERELY underestimated how large of files the recordings were.)


	63. Aida : 6 : Double Good News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my Ninjas~
> 
> Guess what I finally finished out of spite!   
> so yeah, this is Goretober, some of it is tame, some of it has nudity, most of it is just bad drawing. But it's here and it exists. If you see an ad, it isn't me. Clearly: My "subs" are a handful of family and friends and I have a whopping 5 videos up. so. bad video full of bad drawings. but it's done. MUAH-haha.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glaHpr6gF1U
> 
> This is the last chapter of this round though. I promise to return to this story- because I would have a very angry mob if it was any other case.

Sky typed the phone number out of muscle memory. Half hoping for it to not be picked up.

“What.” a slur barked from the speaker. Sky’s blood ran cold at his father’s voice. The alpha sounded the same as he remembered him- drunk.

“Wilson.” Sky’s voice dried up. The alpha barked a sloppy laugh.

“Well, well. If it is my slut failure son of an omega, Talon.” his slur was almost drowned out by the bar noise that was engulfing the alpha. “What? You think, after what you have done, that ‘Daddy Dearest’ is gonna drop everythin’ and save you?” He spat another laugh. Skylar was leaned back against the door of Reyne’s bedroom. He could feel the warmth of the alpha’s through the wood. 

“I’m not calling for you to save me, Wilson.” Sky was shaking. He just really needed to know what happen with his mother and brother. Wilson can go take “Talon’s” place in the dumpster for all he cared. 

“Did you run into your slut mother? The bitch left me you know- she ain’t my problem anymore.” the man must have taken another swig of whatever firestarter he decided to get drunk off of that day. “Honestly, I hope they make the two of you fuck. Where’s your Master, slut? Put him on the phone.” 

Mom left. She would never leave Garrett behind. They were safe- hopefully- somewhere away from Wilson. That was all Skylar needed to hear. Sky bit at his own lip- terribly holding back his own giggle. 

“Fuck you too.” Sky’s words were stronger than they had been in a long time. Before his alpha reject of a father could retaliate Sky just hung up on him. Mother had taken the money and ran, just like Sky had begged her to. At the time he didn’t care what would become of himself, as long as she and his little omega brother would be away from that monster. 

Hell, he would willingly and gladly go through everything all over again- if it meant for them to be okay. Sky sniffed to clear his nose as his hands tried to dry the tears he didn’t realize were falling. He would have to face the alphas in the hallway eventually. Not now though, not immediately- hell, he was ruining his makeup. Sky looked himself over in the oversized mirror that was set over the couple’s dresser. He really was pale, perhaps his weight was a little too on the thin side. The eyeliner that was trying to streak his face framed his blue irises perfectly. The rosey stain on his lips gave a touch of life back into his face. Makeup could only do so much for the dark circles- but he was somewhere he could sleep without fear. Without that time regime that Zyane was enforcing. Skylar didn’t want to be the perfect little house omega- he was actually quite terrible at it. Zyane made sure to point out each one of Sky’s short comings, but that alpha wasn’t a problem anymore. 

Sky sniffed again, pawing at the under of his eyes to try to tame the smearing pigments. He could hear the pathetic whimpers from the duo at the door. His puppies were getting separation anxiety. 

____________________

Jovan Junior carried Jaydon into the omega’s apartment. The battered omega hung limply from the alpha’s arms, despite how Jovan tried to support his limbs. Gene stumbled, refusing to be lifted by his chaperoning alpha. He still hasn’t mumbled a word. The elder had a hold firmly on Gene’s bicep to help him walk. Those black irises were still fogged over, locking to Jay every chance they had.

“Go clean him up.” Father waved for Junior to keep going down the hallway. The son nodded silently, shifting his hold slightly trying to get a better grasp on the omega. The elder kept his hold on Gene’s arm when the omega tried to follow his mate down the hall.

“You stay here.” Senior knelt till he was eye level with the very distracted omega. “Hey. It’s over now. I need you to relax for me.”   
Eugene pulled against the alpha’s grasp, still not looking away from the hall.

“Griffith, please. I get it, Jaydon’s scruffed. Okay? Let ‘PissAss’ do his thing.” when the omega refused to acknowledge him, he placed himself behind Gene. He replaced his palm over the omega’s eyes and pulled him against his torso once again.

“You need to listen to me, Pet.” Jovan lowered his voice, toeing into a grey area. “You are going red. If you listen to me- I will get you out of this situation.” He figured that this was worth a try. If Gene went red, he would be forced to do so much more with the omega. He knew for a fact that no one wanted that. 

“Lean your head back some.” the elder directed, tipping the omega’s chin up with his free palm. A whine whistled from Gene’s lips. It was a desperate little sound that cut straight through both alphas. Senior found himself hushing the omega softly, his sight darting to his son before refocusing on the omega under his palms. 

“I can see Jo from where I am.” the elder explained. “If anything at all seems off- I will handle it.” The son lifted his head, giving his father a crossed look from down the hall before realizing what his crazy father was doing. 

“Let me take care of things for a little, Pet.” The salt and peppered alpha completely ignored Jovan’s gaze. It always seemed that Eugene fought against every single omega instinct, for once Alpha had to convince him to not hate this dynamic. Eugene was his employee, his friend, but at the same time he was an unmarked omega. He felt guilty even if the law didn’t hold anything against him.

A hiss curled threateningly from the contained omega’s throat. 

Jovan kept his chastising down to a minimum, nudging the back of the stiff omega’s knees as he gave the barest command of kneel. Commands were worthless on Gene’s stubbornness. If he followed any instruction- it was because Gene chose to.

The omega slipped to the floor, still blinded by one of the Alpha’s over sized palms. He stood with Gene’s back leaned against his leg for a few moments. Remembering just how little Jo looked so similar when he as Eugene’s size. When it was clear that Gene wasn’t going to revolt, the alpha purred careful praises. 

“Take Jaydon to his bedroom.” The father’s voice was clear. Junior froze in the hallway, half turned into the doorway of the said bedroom. “No duh.” clearly on his expression. Jaydon was tucked carefully against the alpha’s chest as to not scare the omega into thinking he was going to be dropped. Then Jo saw how Gene was knelt. The comment wasn’t for him at all. It was so Gene knew where Jaydon was and for the omega to think the alpha standing over him was in control of everything.

“Yes, Sir.” Jo answered a bit delayed, earning an appreciative nod from his father. An omega that might be going into red was being treated like a youth alpha at risk of going feral. That’s something one doesn’t see everyday. 

____________________

The flat was oddly silent, enough so that Grey and Reyne had glanced at each other worriedly. Reyne padded into the bedroom carefully. He tsked away at his own chuckle as two sets of glassy eyes narrowed on him. The alphas had raised their heads only to inspect the intruder. Once Reyne passed whatever test they had running through their heads they laid back down. Skylar was curled on his side under the blankets with the two alphas on either side of him. Their arms tangled around his form- fingers threaded through his long dark hair. He was book ended by safety. Reyne almost didn’t have the heart to uproot the two. 

Grey leaned in behind his mate, raising an eyebrow at the three. 

“Sky looks pretty content.” Reyne whispered, leaning back on his mate’s chest.

“So why is there a cuddle session?” Grey whispered just enough for the alphas to know the question was directed at them.

“Nightmare.” one answered, the voice causing Sky to shift. The two looked almost panicked until he nestled back down.

“Sure.” the bearded alpha was only half convinced. Was Sky touch starved? That was a thought that hadn’t crossed his mind. He technically had an alpha- but hell knows what that said alpha actually did for him. Grey had an idea of how flippantly Zyane used his voice. The green fuck seemed completely unaware, or uncaring over how it actually affected an omega. If Sky was finding comfort with the dipshits. Then so be it. Just for the record: Skylar was staying with Reyne and Grey just so this kind of scene wouldn’t happen.

____________________

Gene calmed down remarkably. With careful phrasing, Jovan Senior let the omega go to his mate. He was afraid that the sight of Jaydon would send him right back to square one.

The alphas watched Gene’s movements carefully as he crawled into bed with the limp omega. Gene pressed his lips to Jay’s forehead, whispering something that was only strong enough to be shared between them. As Eugene settled into the bed, he shifted Jay onto his shoulder. He fidgeted, kissing into the heavy red curls all while arranging their limbs. 

The two looked like they were sleeping naturally- as if nothing had ever happen. Jay’s head was tucked under Gene’s chin. Gene’s shoulder served more of a pillow for Jay than anything else. The Jovan’s shared a glance before slipping out. They knew that the omega’s have handled situations like this before. Eugene just needed a little help this time. 

Twelve days after the incident, Gene had returned to work. The only reason he willingly left Jay’s side was because Jay had friends come over during the day. Jaydon was not alone, he was fine, safe- with other alphas… friends. He was safe with friends. Eugene didn’t waste any time getting home once he clocked out. 

A kid named Mitch was with Jay today. He was young but fucking tall. Mitch was one of those “gym and protein shake” addicts- and it was showing. Gene forced himself to smile at the alpha’s greeting. Jay was somewhere farther in the back of the apartment. 

A corner of Gene’s mind screamed for him to go check on Jay- the other half tried to convince the raging mindset that his mate was probably just taking a nap. Jay didn’t bounce back from the last attack as fluidly as he normally does- but who could blame him for it? Hell, Gene was as useless as tits on a bull that day. Thank whatever god that gives half a shite that he had enough sense to call someone for help.

“I’m heading out.” Mitch reported, looking guilty. Eugene’s scowl formed naturally. He moved past the towering alpha to look for Jay. His mate was sat on the edge of their bed. Jay’s head was almost between his own knees as his shoulders quaked every so often to give away that he was crying.

Gene shot a heated look at where the alpha was standing- finding that the young -soon be very dead- prick was already gone. Gene nearly sprinted to Jay’s side pulling his mate against his chest, burying Jay’s nose against his scent.

“Hey, Babe.” the goth tried to whisper, finding his voice wasn’t quite working right- it came out rougher than it needed to.

“I went to the doc’s today.” Jay heaved a breath. Gene sank to the floor in front of his mate- kissing into the glands on both of Jay’s wrists. Okay- so Mitch gets to live another day. A piece of paper was lifted to Gene’s sight. It took him reading it over three times before he finally fully grasped what the words said.

“I swear to god… I never cheated on you.” Jaydon’s voice shook. Gene pulled his mate closer for a kiss, cutting off wherever that train of thought wanted to go.

“I know, I know you would never do that.” Gene smiled, pawing away Jay’s tears. “We’re having a baby- we’re finally getting a family.” 

“It’s not yours… it’s impossible.” Jay was right. Omega’s couldn’t get other omegas pregnant- or anyone pregnant for that matter.

“I don’t care. They’re our little one. We always wanted a family, this is our chance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will see you all on Friday the 12th. I'm taking my two days as usual but be assured I will be typing away like an idiot. Thank you for your continued curiosity and If you're reading this and currently far behind: I'm sorry, yes I know it's a lot. Keep going my Ninja Dude I believe in you!
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments: regardless of how "old" the chapter is~


	64. Damien : 1 : Shen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I would be ready to put this up, But I'm going for it.  
> You almost got one of my super old works as a place-holder until I was done ironing out most of the kinks.
> 
> Also there is no buffer for this one: it starts off a bit harsh
> 
> There are still a lot of things I'm gonna need to fix. I'll put a note on the top of the chapters if there was something that majorly changed in the previous. hopefully it doesn't come to that.

“Xià guì” the elder barked as he entered the room. Kneel. That was an easy one. The omega dropped to his knees, the pain of splitting his skin on the rough wood would have made him flinch in some past life. For now, it was just another part of the day. His joints were too knobby- they couldn’t actually take any more abuse. He forced himself to take it anyway. He didn’t know why- if he just gave up and became a useless doll on the floor- they might have mercy by killing him. 

“Lǎn fù.” the same man growled, the omega’s eyes raised to his master. 

“Shén.” the omega was barely able to conjure the little sound. That had to be Master’s title. There was no way he would be given Master’s name. He was honored by being give a name, Lǎn fù. The alpha raised a finger, that signaled for him to stay still. Okay… he could do that. 

The alpha sat at the squat table, he was working on some kind of machine. It had rusted during the course of years, he seemed to be trying to revive the little contraption. 

As time ticked, the omega’s muscles were growing exhausted. Fatigue was the only way he knew that time was passing. Even days and nights blended together at this point. How long had he been here? A lifetime? It sure felt like a lifetime.

Long enough to be trained to follow orders in a language he didn’t speak. 

His muscle on his left side quaked, causing him to fall to the ground. It gained the attention of the man, earning another bark from the hardened voice. The omega forced his limbs to push himself up from the split floor. 

“Xiànzài” he growled low in his throat. Up? Was that like… wait. The omega tried to straighten himself on his knees, staring down at the floor between alpha’s feet. A slap cracked across his face. It threw him hard on his side, he was pretty sure his lip split at contact. So… that wasn’t it.

“Xiànzài.” he snarled this time. He had another chance to figure this out. Okay… think… he must have stayed on the floor for a touch too long. The metal toed boot dug into his ribcage, knocking all air out of his lungs. The alpha paced the length of the room twice, the spiced scent of anger filling every corner. The omega was at a loss of what he should do. 

The older man cracked his neck before charging the trembling skeleton. His greasy fingers gripped into the jutting hip bones of the omega to prop him up on is knees. His other hand dangerously tightened around the man’s scruff, pressing his head down into the floor

“Xiànzài.” He bit out. Present… that means present. He tried to commit the sound to memory, but another unforgiving blow landed on his already bruised ribs. He couldn’t hold the pose, his body refused by searing his nerves with white, blinding pain. 

“Xiànzài.” that sound again, razors to the ears. The omega tried to comply, being kicked over before he could figure out how to get his knees under himself.

“Xiànzài”

The omega was trembling, trying to hold that position long after the alpha had left the room. He didn’t want to invoke any more wrath of his Shén. Forget laying worthlessly- he was worthless enough as it was. They wouldn’t kill him if he gave up- they would find ways to torture him until he behaved. 

____________________

“Chī.” the deep voice spat. A fruit was dropped to the floor with a thud. The omega raised his forehead off of the stinking wood, finding that morning shadows now danced across the room. 

Had he stayed like this all night? Food. His master was giving him food. The omega sprung to life as soon as he registered what was happening. He was commanded to eat- if he didn’t. 

He pushed all the thoughts aside: even the ever presence of paranoia from the seemingly innocent peach that was grasped in the omega’s boney fingers. It tasted off. Not in the spoiled kind of way- in the… Master tainted the food again kind of way.

He was commanded to eat. He needs to eat it. 

____________________

The omega was lead around to the back of the barn. He was crawling on all fours, trying to keep up with his master’s long strides. His thinning frame couldn’t move like it once had- he needed it to. He needed to keep up with Shén. His body was growing too hot. His sight was fogging over as he tried to just keep clawing at the gravel under his palms. Stay awake. Keep up with Shén.

He woke tied in the dog’s yard again. He knew what was happening. The omega made an actual effort to not acknowledge what was going on. Men that were acquaintances -friends maybe- of Shén littered the place. They were having a party again. Maybe one of them would have the mercy of getting the omega drunk. That’s happen many times before- it makes everything easier to deal with in the moment. He was just unfortunately there. As long as Master wasn’t angry, everything would stay bearable. 

____________________

He was left in the backyard. The masters were too drunk to realize he was still there. Early spring air still had the bite of winter. His body had stopped shivering long ago. His malnourished muscles seemed to have given up on the uphill battle. He wasn’t sure if he should be thankful they forgot him or if he should be worried that this was going to be it. How many years had he been on this land? There was no one coming. 

The omega realized blatantly that he was woken by the presence of the elder alpha. The elder was pulling a hose behind him, not as much as uttering a word before he turned the spray onto the omega. It felt like ice chips striking his skin. Cold only urged his lapsing awareness to slip under. He was already sluggish, there was no way he would be able to command his limbs to move. Maybe passing out was the best case scenario: he wouldn’t be awake for the wrath of the hung over elder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first round of this universe came so naturally to me: I'm almost worried that I'm going to break it this time. 
> 
> Thank you for your curiosities!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments!


	65. Damien : 2 : Adam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back~  
> I didn't torment him for too long? The little dude is safe from now on- whether or not he knows it is another story. But minus some expected trauma crap, this should be pretty okay for everyone. (by the standards of my usual crap)

Both masters were gone. Where they went was lost to the omega- normally either one or the other would stay behind to watch over the omegas. Now the house servant was kneeling in the closet: straight back, arms behind himself. He messed up last time this happen. They caught him asleep in here- the memory of the burns spurred him into stillness. He would not make the same mistake again.

Heavy feet were storming the house. Every nerve on the omega prickled as he could hear the foreign words barking over one another. So they were doing this today? Testing his loyalty: making sure the lessons they carved into him had stuck.

He thought he was being rescued once before- it was just the Alphas’ friends. They tricked him into coming out. He was amazed that he was still alive after that week. No. Don’t fall into that now- he needed to stay awake so he could stay still and stay on the good side of Shén. A tremble ripped through his body, causing him to bite into the side of his cheek. Don’t move. Don’t even breathe if he can’t trust himself to not shake. 

The door that was barely a few inches from his nose tore open. Three guns were aimed in his face in the following second. His lungs collapsed in on themselves as he saw the alphas crowding his door. He didn’t know them, he’s never seen any of them before.

Just as quickly as they came, the guns were diverted from the omega. The man must have swayed from the lack of breathing- hands were on him. One held his jaw in a giant, gloved palm, two others were on each of his shoulders. Were they keeping him from falling? Or were they trying to position him properly? 

Words that sounded like they were barked as commands swirled around him. He couldn’t understand what they were saying- he wasn’t taught this. He really didn’t think he could withstand another training session. He ached, he could barely keep upright. They couldn’t really be doing that to him now! 

More alphas came, the omega squeezed his eyes shut against them. He didn’t want to know how many were coming for him- how many would want him to serve them. Masters must have been royally pissed off at him for this to be happening. What had he done? Was it because he dropped the pot?

That has to be it- he wasted the Master’s food. 

The hands moved, someone was palming the base of his skull. Another set of arms were hooking around his back. As he felt himself being lifted, a third set of hands untucked his knees from under him. Whatever it was they wanted from him- at least they weren’t going to make him guess. He never was good at guessing what alpha’s wanted from him. 

“Rilassare.” an alpha spoke softer than the omega was expecting. Lay down? That meant lay down. Why else would they say it? He blinked his eyes open for a second, his heart stuttering at the number of alphas that surrounded him. 

“Rilassare,dolcezza.” that word again, what was that second part? Were they adding more commands already!? Pressure found that bundle of nerves at the edge of his collarbone. 

To the omega that could only mean one thing- someone was trying to prepare him for… no. He kicked out his legs the hardest his strength would allow, voices around him startled as he struggled against every hold they had. Why were there so many of them? Who ever was seeking out that gland had stopped. Was that a victory, or had he just made a terrible mistake?

____________________

Donato sat in his office, files laid out on his desk with no actual resemblance of order. A raid had just recovered four omegas: each one in different stages of malnutrition and social deprivation. None of them had uttered a word, two of them were unconscious, one was in the late stages of red. 

The assignment was easy for the omega in red; Riccardo. He was a good alpha- his scent was strong and dominate, his ability to read body language was impeccable, and he hasn’t lost an omega to red yet. That was the most pressing issue at the moment. As soon as they land here- Riccardo will be meeting them on the helipad to take the kid into his care. 

One was found in the house. “Kneeling in the pantry” as the rushed report stated. Seemed to be cooperative until they started to prep him for transport. He was under a sedative at the moment, just to make the journey easier on all involved. 

A lot of things could have happen to him. He was the only omega found in the house- but that didn’t mean that they didn’t rotate. He stayed silent up until the panic when they tried to move him, so someone could have very well been training him to be the “perfect” servant. Hopefully it hadn’t set in just yet, those mind sets were always the hardest to pull back from. Only a handful of Don’s alphas had been part of those kinds of recoveries in the past. It looked like Adam wasn’t assigned to anyone at the moment. Don began to dig through his contacts to find the alpha’s number. It may take a couple swaps before he could find the right alpha for this omega- but Adam was a strong start.

____________________

Adam had his assignment in hand. He had read over every bit of information they had on the omega so many times that he had committed it to memory- twice over. Not that there was much to know. He straightened his tank top, fussing over whatever mystery white powder that had gotten all over his clothes. He wanted to at least look presentable when he met his new charge. 

All of the accompanying alphas dressed casually- compared to the nurses. Supposingly it was a way for the omegas to not be as intimidated by them: when Donato had first brought up the idea the company was skeptical. Adam himself found it was actually really effective. 

With a steeling breath he knocked twice on the sterile door. A nurse cracked it open, holding up a finger before quickly closing it once again. They wanted him to wait- what were they doing to him? A part of his job was accompanying the omega through all of the doctor’s procedures. Adam’s jaw popped as he counted down to tame that spiraling alpha thought that urged him to press his way into the room.

He had to trust they knew what they were doing. Instead he moved to the side of the door to lean on the wall. He pretended to be busy with his phone while time dragged on for an eternity. 

It was only five minutes- but it felt like an hour. The nurse from before reopened the doorway, her sight darting around the hallway before realizing Adam was right there. He raised a questioning brow as she waved for him to follow. 

Keeping his questions for later, he finally got the first look at his new assignment. The omega had chopped dark hair. His limbs were buckled down with safety cuffs. He visibly struggled against the holds but he was notably silent. Not even a whimper wheezed from his throat as his weakened struggles rattled the bed frame. 

“Perché è legato?” (Why is he tied?) Adam narrowed his gaze on the doctor. The man fixed his glasses with the side of his hand.

“Strappato la IV due volte.” (Ripped the IV twice.) the man sounded exhausted. The doctor lent the alpha a weak smile in apology as he motioned for the youth to introduce himself. 

Adam studied the stressed lines that were carved deep into the omega’s expression. He wasn’t sure if he could actually move any closer to the omega without sending him into a panic. Or, another panic- he mentally reasoned. 

“Il mio nome è Adam. Sono qui per aiutarti, ok?” (My name is Adam. I’m here to help you, okay?) the alpha stayed his distance, keeping his voice as soft as he could. He found that the omega had his attention locked on himself as soon as he started to speak. “Mi capisci, tesoro?” (Can you understand me, Sweetheart?)

The omega looked lost. He flashed his sight around the room, looking over every alpha surrounding him. Too many people. There were too many people for his fragile sanity.

“Ti dispiacerebbe darci un secondo?” (Would you mind giving us a second?) the younger alpha glanced to the doctor, the elder nodded his understanding as he and the two other nurses filed out. Adam stayed still until the door clicked behind him. He glimpsed over his shoulder, just to be sure the door was closed before he turned his attention back to the omega on the mental ledge. 

Adam raised his hands in surrender, tipping his head submissively as he moved to the edge of the bed. The omega seemed to have a language barrier- or maybe he was just petrified from fear. God knows what actually went on in that barren farm. 

The omega swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat. His sight kept flickering between the medical bag and the alpha. Adam could read it off of the omega’s face that he didn’t know which to fear the most. The alpha hushed carefully, massaging timid circles into the back of the omega’s cuffed hand. The scent of pure fear spiraled harshly in the room. Adam consciously fought his natural reactions to wince. His lip kept trying to curl whenever he had his guard down- he couldn’t afford that kind of screw up with this omega.

Instead he willed a soft, purring growl to vibrate in his chest. Regardless of what language this omega spoke- or what fresh hell he had just survived- Adam knew that sound would promise the omega safety. His charge had made it out of there, now all he had to do was relax. 

The omega’s sight stopped fidgeting after fifteen minutes of calm in the room. Adam was watching every detail of the man: noting every shift in his pulse, every slowing blink of his eyes, his stuttering breath was starting to not hitch as badly. Adam’s touch was constant the entire time, slow, gentle, predictable. Just little circles on the back of that trapped hand. 

Touch starved: that was how Adam would describe his new assignment. He was terrified, abused, weak, and wary of the entirety of his new environment; but Adam could see that the omega just wanted someone to be gentle with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 and I don't think I've ruined this vein yet, let's see if I can keep that up.
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosities!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	66. Damien : 3 : Gabriele

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short, early update because I'm working another double today. Starting earlier than last week x. x
> 
> my managers are going to be the death of me

The doctor returned with a soft knock on the doorway. The older man studied the omega as he paced into the room. The omega’s calm had shattered as soon as the alpha re-appeared. 

“Come stava?” (How was he?) the greyed elder kept his voice soft, just barely audible for the youth.

“Si è calmato molto. Potrebbe essere l'esaurimento.” (He calmed down a lot. Could be exhaustion.) Adam kept his touch consistent, even when the omega was clearly starting to fall back into a panic. The doctor hummed carefully as he thumbed over the IV pinch.

“Se lo togli, prometti di provare a fargli bere qualcosa?” (If I take this off, will you promise to try to get him to drink something?) It was clear to the doctor that this omega could not handle the IV in longer than absolutely necessary. If it was possible- they would try to bypass the use of needles all together. 

Adam nodded, the omega pulled against the cuffs with earnest. That skeleton of a man was deathly silent as he fought, but Adam had to restrain the wrapped forearm so that the doctor could work. A look of betrayal was in the omega’s eyes, Adam just tried to focus on generating that rolling growl. He just had to hold out until the doctor was finished. Once the alpha leaves, Adam would be allowed to free his restricted omega completely: as long as he felt that the omega was no danger to himself or others. 

By the time everything was over, Adam had to fight down the painful urge to cradle the omega. The omega’s bruised face was soaked with sweat and tears. His struggling had bordered a panic attack so a nurse had reached for that calming bundle at the nook of his collar bone- that didn’t end well. It triggered something feral within his omega. The fear in his face and the strained noise that came from his throat: Adam was probably going to have nightmares from this.

His omega was currently sedated. Adam sat in the silent, darkened room with the unconscious survivor. His fingers combed the short, uneven strands that were weighted down with sweat. Almost as soon as the others had stepped out- he all but tore off the cuffs that caused his omega so much distress. Adam knew why the leather restraints were there, it didn’t mean he had to like them.

Glands were sometimes used in sex. Adam’s jaw clicked ominously as his mind worked out the implications of his omega’s reactions. The alpha’s hands wanted to shift, they almost did a couple times- but he needed them to stay passive. He didn’t want to add to the wounds his omega was already trying to heal from. This is only day one- night one. Adam tried to convince himself that his omega would feel a little better after getting sleep. Even if it was drug induced. 

Adam eventually distracted himself with studying the little earrings that were on his omega. There little studs in each ear. He wondered when the omega had gotten them? Were those the same earrings he disappeared with? Maybe the bastards that did this had a thing for piercings and wanted omegas with them. He made a mental note to ask Don about the others. If it helps at all to narrow down what kind of targets these monsters were hunting: he would do anything.

____________________

Gabriele gently urged Adam out of his thoughts. It was time for a shift change. Gabe worked with Adam all the time- they knew they could trust each other. Adam didn’t want to get up from his spot. Gabe gazed over the omega’s sleeping form. He had just as much as Adam to work with when it comes to history. 

“Come hanno reagito a te?” (How did he react to you?) Gabriele’s voice was barely over a whisper, he was taking a seat a touch father from the side of the bed compared to where Adam had been stationed. 

“Paura della propria ombra. Non andare per le sue ghiandole: lo rende solo peggiore.” (Afraid of his own shadow. Don’t go for his glands, it only makes it worse.) Adam ran his hands through his hair to keep himself from touching the omega. He was sleeping, with any luck, he would sleep through the night. Adam had his hair re-tied back up in a bun before he realized Gabe was trying to get his attention again.

“Notato.” (Noted) Gabe gave his friend a thumbs up. He was ready for the graveyard shift. Adam was scheduled to come back in the morning, until then. 

“Buona notte.” 

“Buona notte.”(Goodnight.)

____________________

Gabe sat in silence as the omega slept. He had his phone in his palms- the brightness as dim as it would go. He was looking over videos for school- trying to figure out the black magic behind calculus derivatives. He frequently studied his sleeping charge, just taking a mental note of his steady breaths. The best case scenario for night one is sleep. With any luck, he’ll sleep through most of the morning. Nightmares didn’t seem to be a problem thus far- but it doesn’t take long for a rogue dream to go dark. 

Five videos and a migraine later, the omega whimpered in his sleep. That wouldn’t be unusual: all things considered. Nonetheless Gabriele locked his phone with a click and set it down on the table next to him. He was watching the omega’s breaths quicken into pants. Gabe was half convinced he could see the fluttering of the omega’s vein from where he sat across the room. Another whimper escaped. 

Gabe let a measured hush whisper in the air, the sound devolving into a light hum. Just enough to tell the omega that he was there. He noted that his charge was actually looking him over through lidded eyes. Gabe sat still as to not startle the omega. Passive- almost submissive: once he realized the omega was watching him, he tried to keep his staring down to a minimum. He was a complete stranger to this kid- the kid didn’t know what his intentions were. 

Right now, he just wanted to peacefully coexist with the omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosity
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments section


	67. Damien : 4 : Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my ninjas!
> 
> Another day, another update, it's almost midnight as I'm editing this after a double shift. So. Yeah. 
> 
> Typos ahead.

The kid shifted uneasily in his spot. He was testing out the freedom of his wrists, whether his limbs were going to respond to him or not. Gabe hushed again, glacially moving to his feet. He should be within an arm’s length of the omega just in case he were to bolt, or fall, or seize. They had very little to go on with this rescue. The soldiers weren’t even going into the farm to look for omegas.

Gabe made it to the side of the bed. The kid was trembling beneath him despite his efforts on making himself smaller. Adam had warned him against using the omega’s glands as a method to calm him down. That was the only reason he hadn’t tried it yet. He whispered nothings through a growl as he sat himself in Adam’s chair.

The omega moved abruptly, jerkily. He threw the blankets he was wrapped in off of his limbs and forced his legs over the side of the bed.

“Devi usare il bagno?” (Do you have to use the toilet?) Gabe saw how the foreign words made the omega flinch. He bit his own tongue to keep the usual cooings inside. He couldn’t understand italian- even the most innocent sayings could sound like demon chanting to the kid. 

He pushed himself off the edge of the bed, stood unsurely, and abruptly sunk to his knees. Gabe barely controlled his surprised yelp. He circled the bed a touch quicker than he would like to admit only to find the omega was knelt with his sight fixed to the floor. 

“No, no, tesoro.” Gabe’s voice squeaked slightly, kneeling not too far from the omega. He kept his head lower than the kid’s, silently begging the kid to look up. A whimper ripped from the omega’s voice instead. Green eyes fidgeted on the floor for a second before he dropped forward. Gabe’s throat was closing as the omega presented for him.

If there was any question about what may or may not have happen, this answered everything. Gabe moved for the nearest blanket he could reach. The cotton startled the omega when it first made contact with is skin. Gabe tucked the fabric around his trembling form, carefully taking the omega’s hip in a palm.

“Rilassati, va tutto bene.” (Relax, it’s okay.) Gabe purred before catching himself. To his surprise the omega laid on the floor obediently. Gabe only directed him onto his side, into the recovery position. The alpha made sure the omega was concealed before slipping a palm under the quaking one’s head. Eventually Gabriele would need to get the omega back up and into the bed: but for now he just let the kid lie. His shaking would only force him to lean on the alpha if he were to stand right now anyway. The kid was barely surviving the alpha’s presence. 

Gabe purred while he waited for the omega to settle down. The floor couldn’t really be that comfortable. It had to be at least cold compared to the bed. Gabe noted that the green of his eyes would flash dangerously close to looking the alpha in the face. He must have been confused. Presenting probably never played out like this before. That’s okay… well, it’s not, but he’s okay now.

After half an hour of patience, the omega succumbed to his exhaustion. Gabe tested the waters carefully by ghosting his touch over the omega’s sleepy cheek. Sleep kept him under, even when Gabriele lifted the omega into his arms. The alpha almost felt too guilty to distance himself from the fledgling trust the omega was starting to show. 

____________________

He finished his night shift with one hand holding onto the omega’s blankets: just in case he would wake up again. 

“Notte dura?” (Hard night?) Adam looked over his friend’s exhausted expression. Gab was sat right next to the bed, his forehead pressed on the ledge of the mattress with one of his hands holding onto the omega’s wrist loosely.Gabe raised his head at the sound of his friend’s voice, mumbling something under his breath before making sure the omega was still peacefully asleep. 

“Ha presentato la scorsa notte. Ci è voluto del tempo perché lui smettesse di tremare.” (He presented last night. It took time for him to stop shaking.) Gabriele whispered, while carefully moving to his feet. 

“Donato ha una stanza pronta per te in fondo al corridoio se sei troppo stanco per tornare a casa.” (Donato has a room ready for you at the end of the corridor if you're too tired to go home.) Adam smiled weakly at Gabe’s slight glare. He stretched before he seemed to decide on what to do.

“Penso che prenderò quella offerta.” (I think I’ll take that offer.) Gabe clapped a hand onto the slightly shorter alpha’s shoulder. He mumbled something resembling a ‘good luck’ before silently gliding out of the room.

____________________

After three more hours of stillness, the omega was coming to. It seemed like he was drifting to the surface slowly this time. Adam swallowed his nerves, folding his hands between his knees. This actually scared the alpha. He didn’t know what the omega wanted, or needed from him. He couldn’t talk, he barely seemed lucid when that panic takes over. One breath at a time: for the both of them.

The omega looked over the hunched alpha- whom looked like a child that was caught stealing a candy bar. His words were a jumbled mess to the omega’s ears. The zebra looking alpha managed to keep malice out of his voice though. The survivor also hasn’t heard a command in his tone as of yet. Yet. 

The omega didn’t know where he was. He hasn’t been off that farm land in years- it was easy to forget that there was a whole world outside of that fence line. It still felt like he was the only omega left in the world, however. 

When had he gotten back onto the bed? Wasn’t he not allowed on the bed, unless. He looked over the borderline submissive alpha. He didn’t look like he had enough testosterone in his body to demand anything. 

“Hai sete?” his voice was deep enough to give away that he was a fully capable alpha, he just wasn’t acting the part. Hell, what did that mean? He tipped his head a touch further to the side, slouching his shoulders to a lower stance. 

It was clear the omega didn’t understand what was going on. Adam swallowed his nerves one more time before carefully rising to his feet. He lifted his hands so that the kid could see his every movement, stepping sideways till he was within reach of the squat fridge. Adam fished out a bottle of water and raised it to the omega’s sight.

“Acqua.” (Water.) he spoke carefully. He needed to get some kind of fluids into this kid, or the doctor is going to want to give him another IV. No one wanted that. The omega scooted backwards towards the ledge of the bed causing Adam to freeze in his advancements. He held out the bottle of water between nervous fingers. Adam placed the plastic on the blanket by the kid’s legs- backing away as soon as he could.

The kid made no movement towards the bottle. Adam hummed carefully, trying to keep the growing nerves out of the sound. After the standstill, the alpha moved to lift the water and resumed his spot at the side of the bed. The omega was watching every heartbeat that fluttered along the alpha’s vein. With measured movements, the alpha cracked the seal on the bottle and took a visible drink from it. 

Slowly he outstretched his arm to offer the open bottle. Finding that the omega’s eyes were fidgeting between himself and the clear plastic.

“Va bene.” (It’s okay.) Adam schooled his reaction to the omegas clear fear. He was careful to not move too quickly, but it was his existence that seemed to bother the fragil survivor. 

“Hai bisogno di bere, tesoro.” (You need to drink, Honey.) Adam pressed the bottle into the hands of the shaking omega. He seemed to be reacting to something as he shifted onto his knees. He was kneeling while facing Adam: the omega lifted the bottle to the alpha’s lips as a well trained servant. 

Alpha Adam had to bite back his impulsive reaction. Instead he managed to take a gentle hold on the omega’s wrists. His wide green eyes instantly filled with fear, his shaking nearly crumpled the weak plastic under his grasp. Adam hushed the omega softly, his hands barely holding onto those thin wrists.

“Bere. Per favore.” (Drink. Please.) One of the alpha’s soft hands cupped the omega’s cheek while the other guided the water to his lips. The water fell uselessly from his mouth. He stared at the alpha with blank eyes. His body went fully ridgid. Adam cursed under his breath as he reached for the emergency button. The omega was going into a seizure. 

With absolutely no reaction from his omega, Adam had moved him to lay down on the bed. All of the blankets and pillows were thrown to the other side of the room. That triggering bottle laid forgotten somewhere- probably leaking on the floor. Nurses piled in as Adam stepped back to let them work. The doctor wasn’t far behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosity~
> 
> The comments are forever open for ranting.


	68. Damien : 5 : Slow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my Ninjas!
> 
>  
> 
> I realized something while working on this tonight (last night by the time I post this)  
> The reason practically all of the rescued omegas are so sleepy is because one of the symptoms of depression is the want to sleep all the time. Honestly, who wouldn't be struggling with mental health coming out of most of this crap?

Adam sat on one side of the bed with Gabriele on the other. Adam’s shift ended hours ago- but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. The omega was sedated yet again. This time an IV was placed expertly in the bend of his restrained elbow. A tube for nutrients snaked its way in the omega’s nose- slowly feeding him the calories his body desperately needed. The two alphas sat in silence, mostly because it was just easier to pretend he was just sleeping. 

“Come pensi di lavorare domani se non dormi?” (How do you plan to work tomorrow if you don’t sleep?) Gabe whispered, his dark, almost orange, eyes fixed on Adam. The said alpha just shrugged his indifference. 

“Caffè?” (Coffee?) his smile was guilty. This would not be the first time he worked on little more than caffeine. Gabe snorted softly, laying his head back down at the omega’s side. There was no need for two to accompany him at the moment, but Gabe understood what the shorty alpha was going through. Despite his resolve, Adam fell asleep barely an hour later into the night shift. Gabriele settled in to watch over both parties. He still had that shot of espresso running through his veins after all. 

____________________

The omega’s pulse began to flutter under Gabriele’s fingers. He had one hand on the omega’s wrist while he was reading his book. He set the closed pages on the side table. His focus locked on the wired one’s face. A mix of pain and confusion creased his expression. His green eyes began to brave to open- clearly still fogged over from sleep. Gabe stood at the kid’s bedside, unceremoniously knocking the snoozing alpha in the head as a warning. 

The omega strained against his binds all at once: fabric that held to the bed’s bars strained against metal. The kid was swallowing compulsively against the foreign tube that ran the length of his throat. Gabe cooed softly, threading his fingers between the omega’s. Adam startled awake, grunting unintelligibly as he looked around the room. 

He placed a hold on the omega’s elbow to make sure he doesn’t tear out the needle again. The kid’s arms stained against the holds, he arched his back off the mattress as a whine wheezed from between his teeth. Both alphas hushed in unison, Adam pressed a palm over the little omega’s pounding heart. 

“Rilassati, piccola.” (Relax, Babe.) Adam braved to comb his fingers through sweaty locks. The omega whined a touch louder, foreign words fell from his lips. His voice strained and carrying the tone of pleading. Adam and Gabe met eyes, neither one had any idea what he was saying- it was beyond frustrating. 

“Pensi che sia pronto per una visita da Donato?” (Do you think he’s ready for a visit from Donato?) Gabriele had already alerted the nurse’s station. The night must have been a chaotic one if it was taking them this long to arrive. 

“No, ma qualcosa deve dare.” (No, but something must give.) Adam mumbled, trying to turn the omega’s attention onto himself. The kid was sputtering now, choking on the feeding tube. Gabe pressed a kiss into the back of the omega’s hand, looking over Adam before moving into the hall to wave someone down. 

Adam climbed onto the bed with the omega as the nurses circled him. Alpha held the struggling kid as he prompted the nurses to release the leather cuffs; all reserve the alpha held snapped, that feral side of his brain wanted to hold his omega up onto his chest. He supported the omega’s chin with a palm to cradle his temple against the alpha’s shoulder. A nurse carefully removed the tube as Adam cooed in the omega’s ear. The needle in the bend of his arm was being protected by another nurse. 

The survivor wasn’t use to touch: that much was clear. Adam cooed softly as he held the omega into his scent. He was hoping that some instinct in the kid would tell him it was okay to calm down. The alpha was going to argue to not have his omega sedated any more. Every time he’s come to- he was thrown straight into a panic. He was already afraid of medication, they didn’t need to give the omega more of a reason to distrust them. 

These episodes were bad enough. 

____________________

Adam couldn’t stand the lingering scent of panic on the omega’s skin. The kid can't handle contact long enough for him to be moved to a bath. 

“Qualcuno può portarmi dell'acqua e una spugna?”(Can someone bring me some water and a sponge?) Adam looked over the expression the elder doctor held. After a beat he nodded his agreement. The kid was briefly cleaned up when he arrived- but he would probably feel better if he wasn’t so sweaty. 

“Ricordati di muoverti lentamente.” (Remember to move slowly.) the alpha read the jitters off of the younger’s body. Adam nodded as if it was common sense: it felt like common sense at this point. 

The omega looked exhausted, so now was probably the best time out of any. A nurse slipped out to fetch the supplies while Adam started to reacquaint the omega with his touch. The kid let a whine escape every so often, the zebra haired alpha kept a mental note of every place the omega was skittish over.

It shouldn’t surprise him that the omega’s scruff was one of the harsher reactions. Adam held the kid into the nook of his neck, cooing to him softly until he found the courage to relax: or was it that he just lulled closer to that dreamless sleep?

Adam laid the omega back down onto the mattress, studying his blown, half lidded emerald eyes. A nurse cleared her throat to announce her presence in the room. Adam flinched slightly, noticing her all at once.

“Grazie.” he spoke a touch late, earning a lopsided and knowing smile from her. Alpha squeezed out the sponge, the warmth of the water was a heaven on his chilled fingers. Hopefully the omega would think the same thing. He started with the kid’s face. With barely any pressure, Adam caressed the kid’s bony cheeks. A whimper whistled between the kid’s teeth. 

It was absolutely killing the alpha that he couldn’t talk to his charge. He could- but it sent him into a panic nearly every time. A choked cry rattled the alpha’s ears. He had run the sponge over the omega’s shoulders and dangerously too close to those glands apparently. A keening whimper escaped the alpha before he could catch himself. 

Shock was evident in the omega’s eyes. Adam whined softer as his apology, pressing a chaste kiss into the omega’s fingers. The kid had a strange look cross his eyes briefly. He barely even flinched when the warm sponge ran the length of his forearm. 

____________________

Two weeks in, and the only improvement thus far was that the omega doesn’t flinch as hard when Adam is the one to touch him. Donato tried. The omega was clearly being run ragged by the influx of rescues recently, but he still managed to keep on the facade of happiness. Adam had the nerve to offer the omega a cup of coffee the other day: he completely forgot that even a little caffeine causes the bouncy omega to go into the worst bout of shakes. 

The kid still refused to eat. He would hold the food or drink in his mouth- but refused to swallow. Ultimately each bit fell uselessly from his lips. The doctors have already checked his mouth, tongue, and throat: there was nothing obstructing him. He just refused. Hunger strike? A version of suicide? Each meal time Adam tried to coax the survivor to eat something. Anything. 

It’s become morbidly common for Adam to hold the omega as the two laid on the bed. An IV settled into one arm while a feeding tube is threaded into place. The kid started off by struggling violently against them- now he just let it happen with that glassy look in his emerald irises. 

Then they decided to try taking the omega out of his room, just to the activity hall. He wasn’t expected to partake. It was just a test to see how he would react to other omegas.

Adam god near purred to the kid when he had his omega in the busy room. The kid was stock still. There were alphas present, but there were just as many omegas. His charge seemed solely fixated on the alphas. Until another survivor approached. 

The alpha couldn’t help looking over the skeletal omega skeptical as he crept towards his charge. He recognized Matteo as the omega’s alpha. He’s only heard good about how little Oliver was recovering- so it couldn’t hurt to let the kid try. 

Until his charge started to seize. As soon as Don and the kid hit the floor, Adam bolted forward. He moved Oliver out of the way a touch more roughly than he originally intended. Adam braced the shaking omega’s head to protect him from hitting the floor, Don hushed something in another language, switching back to italian to help direct the rushing nurses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That being said, I'm in a mood for a good day- let's have one shall we?
> 
> Thank you for your curiosities~  
> Rage is always welcomed in the comments.


	69. Damien : 6 : Speak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my ninjas!
> 
> Another chapter and another day~

Don propped his chin on his palm, exhaustion clear because of the dark circles under his eyes. Adam and Gabriele sat beside each other in the omega’s office. The three looked between each other- almost lost.

“Ho appena assunto qualcuno che parla inglese.” (I just hired someone who speaks english.) Don studied the alphas’ reactions. Adam seemed a lot more reserved than the night worker. 

“Stai seriamente pensando di spegnerci?”(Are you seriously considering switching off?) Adam scowled slightly, he has worked for weeks to gain the trust of this omega. There was no way he could just walk away- how the hell was Don expecting someone else to just step in?

“Adam. Adam, davvero? Lasciami finire la mia frase, giusto?” (Really? Let me finish my sentence, right?) Donato tsked at the zebra colored alpha. Adam narrowed his sight on the little smirking trouble. 

“Non abbiamo ancora trovato una corrispondenza nel DNA. Quindi ho pensato di portare Damien sotto la tua supervisione. Forse può convincere il piccolo a parlare.” (We have not yet found a match in the DNA. So I thought about bringing Damien under your supervision. Maybe he can convince the little one to talk.) Donato smiled appreciatively when both of his alphas held their tongues long enough for him to finish. Gabe nodded, a strange look in his eyes.

“Sei sicuro che questo ragazzo sappia cosa sta facendo? Il bambino non è esattamente un caso normale.” (Are you sure this guy knows what he’s doing? This kid isn’t exactly a normal case.) Adam sounded just as concerned as Don expected him to. Don nodded pointing out that was exactly why Adam was going to supervise everything. Damien had a good resume- his background check was cleaner than Donato’s. He lived in America for years, if nothing else- his italian was a little rustier than his lazy english. 

____________________

Adam’s eyes narrowed on the darker skinned man, he was dressed in a formal button-up shirt and a pair of slax. The alpha snorted softly, he was suppose to be wearing casual clothes. That was not casual clothes. 

“Damien Vagner.” the dark voice greeted warmly, he offered a hand. Adam forced himself to return the gesture, studying the piercings that lined the the man’s face. Tattoos poked up from the folded collar of his shirt. What the hell did Donato find?

“Il bambino si spaventa facilmente, cerca di non spaventarlo.”(The kid is easily frightened, try not to scare him.) Adam ghosted a smile, nerves kept him from actually accepting the new coworker. He had orders from Donato- the first sign that the kid wasn’t taking well to the demonic looking bastard, Adam was going to have him ripped off of the case. 

His omega was still in the hospital room, he kept having seizures- they needed to keep him near help. Whether or not it was something physiological or something stemmed off of PTSS wasn’t quite determined yet. It’s hard to rule anything out when they couldn’t communicate. 

“Hey, Sweety.” Damien hummed from behind the alpha. Adam turned with a dangerous glare. Damien smiled a sheepish promise. The omega pulled his legs up to his chest, his wide emerald irises flickering between the two. 

“It’s okay, I’m just here to talk.” Damien held his hands where the skittish one could see, fully ignoring the stare he was receiving from the protective alpha.

“My name’s Damien, May I be honored with yours?” 

The kid flinched at the question, unsure of how to actually answer. Master had asked him something. He had to answer.

“Lǎn fù.” his vocal cords cracked under the weight of use. Damien hummed a small praise, that wasn’t his name- that didn’t even sound like english. The sound was foreign on his tongue, a learned behavior.

“Is that the first name you’ve ever had?” Damien sat on the farthest side of the bed from the nervous kid. The omega shook his head ‘no.’ He was noticeably studying each piercing on Damien’s face. A question looked like it was lodged in his throat.

“May I have your oldest name?” Damien made an effort to lighten his voice. He was an alpha from a long line of war mongers- it was hard to keep that gravel from slipping into the tone. 

“Master marked you… too?” that was not what Damien was expecting. He tried to not spook the kid back into silence- but he had no idea how to respond. The omega’s fingers flitted over his pierced ears. Damien mirrored his movement, feeling his own flesh warmed gauge between his fingers. 

“What do yours mean?” Damien was metal laced by choice, each piercing was for a cosmetic, or a celebration, or an achievement: none of them were forced onto the alpha. 

“One for every year I was there.” The omega’s voice wavered. Three in each ear. 

“Six years?” Damien choked, forcing himself to not raise his voice. The omega nodded jerkingly. 

“Wesley.” The kid mumbled, “I was called Wes before… this.”

“Il suo nome è Wesley. Era in quella fattoria per sei anni.” Damien reported to the expecting alpha quickly, earning a barely controlled shudder. 

“Do you know where you are, Wes?” the alpha braved to scooch just a little closer. Wes shook his head ‘no.’ He looked almost guilty as he noted the pained expression Adam was wearing.

“You’re safe now, Sweetie. In the beautiful Venice, Italy.” Damien slightly frowned at the omega’s confused scowl. 

“Dinner time is soon, will you eat with us today?” Damien ignored the warning growl he earned from Adam. He couldn’t blame the guardian- Wes suddenly looked panicked. 

“Why don’t they just let me eat?” Wes whimpered. “Why do they just tease me then use tubes?” 

“They want you to eat, Sweetie.” Damien offered a hand for the omega to take, just leaving it in the small space between them as an open invitation. Was he commanded to eat? Unless he heard the command- he refused to do it. What the hell kind of training did he go through?

“You’re allowed to eat and drink here. No commands, no punishments.” Damien prayed that the omega would believe him. Even if he couldn’t fully trust what was being said- at least plant the thoughts. 

Wes gazed between the two alphas. The gears in his head working to the point of overheating. Damien briefly explained everything to Adam, careful to not raise his voice over a whisper for the omega. Adam ultimately approached the trembling figure, tucking him under his chin. Damien could hear the growl that was purring from the protective alpha. Wes seemed to cautiously melt into the touch. 

Damien could fully understand why Adam was so possessive… possessive was the wrong word… Protective? The kid was so skittish, Adam had managed to have some resemblance of a bond that he wanted to nurture. The newbie could see when he was overstaying his welcome. So he slipped out of the room to report back to Don. 

“Wes.” Adam tested the sound of it on his tongue, the little letters dripped sin with his accent. Emerald orbs fixed to Adam’s face. He was questioning why he was being referred to as his name, not the other. Not that he missed the other title. Wesley hasn’t heard his name in years, but it still tugged at his alertness. Every so often he would hear the silly sound among the white noise of Adam’s language.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So with that we finally have a name: only six chapters in... 
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosities!!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	70. Damien : 7 : Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning my ninjas!  
> I have work today... I'm going to ignore that for as long as possible.

Damien returned with a tray carrying enough food for all three of them. His dark voice sang his entrance, almost tripping over his own feet as he foot- wrestled the door out of his way. Adam snorted at the ridiculous sight. Wes clutched to Adam’s shirt out of habit. Every other meal time didn’t end well. 

But this time- they were able to tell him he was allowed to eat. Damien would be able to translate for all the parties involved. Donato had tried for weeks to figure out what language little Wes spoke- something spooked him into silence. 

Adam begrudgingly acknowledged Damien’s accomplishment with that. They motioned towards their piercings, something they had in common. Adam hoped that was the only reason. 

Zebra stripes pulled the bowl of soup closer. Wes was propped on his lap. 

“It’s okay, you can eat.” Damien smiled while taking a mouthful of the day’s soup. Hopefully that would help the omega believe that the food wasn’t some kind of trap. Adam sipped at the spoon as Wes watched with wide eyes, he then lifted a fresh scoop to the omega’s lips. That lump in the alpha’s throat nearly didn’t allow him to swallow- could his omega just have miss understood this entire time?

Wes proceeded to do the usual. Hold the food in his mouth until it just dripped uselessly from his lips. Adam shifted the kid on his lap, he looked helplessly at Damien. The inked alpha studied that glazed look in Wes’ eyes. Something wasn’t adding up. It had only been a few weeks since he’s gotten pulled out of that hell- the structure he has had for arguably six years suddenly disappeared. Wesley probably needs to see what a proper submissive play is in order for him to pull past this. 

“Torno subito. Possiamo provare qualcos'altro.” (I’ll be right back. We can try something else.) Damien had a thought on the tip of his tongue as he moved to the doorway. He promised the kid that he would be right back: just sit tight. 

Damien had a new platter balanced on a palm. Wes flinched at the sound of the door opening- that normally means the staff was coming in with the feeding tube. 

“Ho bisogno che ti fidi di me per un minuto. Probabilmente non sei abituato a questo tipo di metodo, ma vale la pena provarlo.” (I need you to trust me for a minute. You're probably not used to this type of method, but it's worth trying.) Damien held the other alpha’s gaze until he nodded his head meekly. It was either this, or another fight with the tube.

“Wesley,” the dark voice curled around a purr. “Come here, kneel for me” A spark of recognition flashed across the omega’s face. He pushed himself off of Adam’s lap and dropped to his knees on the tiled floor. A warning growl rumbled in Adam’s chest. Damien fearlessly raised a hand to silence the defender. 

“Good, little omega.” he curled a darker hand under the omega’s chin, he laxed in the touch- allowing alpha to pose him however.

“What’s your name, little omega?” Damien purred. Those foreign words fell unnaturally from the omega. Careful, gentle, he corrected Wesley with his birth name. He wasn’t a “Slut” any more. 

“Do you think Adam will harm you?” Damien tried to curb the spiraling thoughts that the omega undoubtedly has.

“He… seems to try to stop things from happening.” Wes stuttered at first: slowly gaining confidence over his voice as the sentence progressed. Damien purred his approval. The omega beamed under the recognition. When was the last time he was praised? His captors probably just barked commands and left him to drop. 

“Why don’t you eat what Adam gives you?” 

The omega’s throat worked, he seemed more in control over himself while he was kneeling- listening to someone’s directions. Damien let him have his time to work out the answer.

“Master’s food. Lǎn fù doesn’t eat Master’s food.” his sight glazed over again, Damien knelt in front of the omega- taking his face between palms. 

“You are not ‘Lǎn fù’, you are Wesley. We have food for you, Wes. Adam’s going to feed you now. You are going to eat whatever he offers like a good omega, right?” he focused on those distant eyes. The thin muscles under his touch quivered slightly until he nodded his need to ‘be good.’ 

“Per ora dovrai nutrirlo. Questo è qualcosa che richiederà tempo per funzionare. “ (For now you will have to feed him. This is something that will take time to work.) Damien earned a cautious nod. The zebra haired alpha took the plate of strawberries from the side table and knelt by the obedient omega. 

Wes looked as if he was floating away with the level of trust he held. Adam actually looked nervous. Wes took a sliced berry from Adam’s fingers. He hummed at the taste before swallowing and parting his lips for another. Relief swept over Adam’s everything. A rolling growl of praise was a touch louder than it needed to be- but the omega was basking in it.

____________________

“What did Shén do?” Damien knew he was in dangerous waters. Wes was inseparable from Adam. The said alpha glared with a heated intensity Damien’s scarcely seen outside of a fight. Wes was tense in his protector’s arms. His throat worked dryly, his eyes were heavy from a full stomach. 

He hasn’t needed to be force fed ever since that day with Damien’s idea. Now Adam was working on getting the kid to eat completely on his own: it was getting better.

With his name, a slimmer timeline, and a general idea of common language; it was much easier for them to narrow their DNA search. It was only two days afterward they were able to contact his living family- first being his aunt: a lovely woman named Jane.

Wesley Berthmen, went missing six years, four months ago from Edgarclear, England. He had an empty grave site in the family cemetery- the parents had grasped the overwhelming possibility that their son was dead just last year. His mother passed away three months ago: she would never know her baby was still alive. Turns out he had disappeared on the night of his twentieth birthday. His friends said they were waiting outside the restaurant for him to pay his tab and come join them. He never came out. 

Wesley leaned into Adam’s touch, a look of trauma plastered onto his expression. Maybe he was trying to organize his thoughts, maybe he was reliving everything. Adam nosed into the kid’s hairline, pressing him closer into his pine scent.

“Adam says you don’t have to say anything if you aren’t ready.” Damien translated, the omega nestled into Adam’s neck thankfully. He sniffed contently before catching himself. Damien sat in silence, fully prepared to abort mission. Wes was beginning to trust everyone ever since there are two translators for him. If they could get more information on the history of the past six years: they would have a better idea of how to help. 

“I was Master’s pet.” Wes mumbled into his alpha’s shirt. Damien hummed his encouragement. Only half expecting the little omega to have the courage to continue. 

“I try to be good, but I keep messing up.” his voice was pinched, a nightmare only he could see played across his mind. Adam pressed a kiss on the omega’s temple. He needed to be grounded into the now. A panic attack was lingering on the edges of his mind- everyone knew that. 

“Shen was angry a lot. Sometimes I don’t-” the omega’s words were cut off by having too heavy of a tongue. His head twitched slightly before falling back limply. He was falling back into a seizure. One of those deathly still, ridgid episodes. Damien glided out the door to get the nurse’s attention. By the time he turned back into the room, Adam had Wes laid on the stripped mattress. With any luck, it would be a short episode like most of the others. 

____________________

Gabriele sat with his legs crossed at the head of the bed. Wes was sleeping with his head limply on the alpha’s lap. Gabe couldn’t exactly pinpoint when this became a usual thing- but he was not going to question it. It seemed to staff off nightmares, or at least he seemed to come around faster when he woke to the alpha staying vigilant over him. 

Gabe pet the little omega’s chopped hair. They were letting it grow out slightly before they were going to cut it into some kind of style. Until then, the uneven strands still felt like silk between his fingertips. Wes shifted in his sleep wrapping his grasp around Gabe’s calf. The alpha sat in shock for a moment before braving to continue scratching his scalp. 

A weak, sleepy purr vibrated from the omega. Just a happy little sound that has never graced the air before. Gabe almost felt selfish from being the only one present at the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosities!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	71. Damien : 8 : Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy clouds today for my ninjas!
> 
> Things keep getting earlier and earlier, its freaking weird ...

Adam was holding onto Wes’ hand as they slowly walked down the hallway. If they kept him somewhat calm, it seemed as if the seizures didn’t occur. With any luck- they would be able to permanently move him to a more comfortable room soon. Wes couldn’t handle large crowds yet, but Don had pulled a couple strings to have a rooftop garden closed for the omega. Adam just had to get him there.

Wesley wasn’t as badly atrophied as the other three that came off of that farm, but he seemed to be the only one “trained” like he was. Whether or not that was better or worse seemed immaterial. None of it should have happened in the first place. The alpha stopped mid step when his charge leaned against a wall. He was panting slightly from the exertion. Adam considered carrying him the rest of the way- it wasn’t that far and he wasn’t all that heavy.

After a few seconds, Wesley pushed himself away from the support and looked to Adam to continue leading him. How could the alpha refuse that?

The empty garden was beautifully decorated. Bright spring flowers dotted the area with color as green and red leaves clustered in various containers. There was a perfect view of the water from up here, the sea sparkling more like diamonds than usual. Wesley seemed to have forgotten how to breathe as he searched about him. 

Adam squeezed his hand softly, smiling when the omega’s sight snapped to his face. Silently, the alpha nodded to a bench that was sat between two large pots of flowers. Wes ghosted a smile, grasping onto his alpha’s shirt with his free hand as he let Adam lead him across the brick path. 

Wesley sat with his head on Adam’s shoulder. Adam’s arm was loosely draped over the other’s thin frame. Every so often the omega would shiver from the spring chill in the air- Adam didn’t have a coat with him, so all he could do was pull the omega just that much closer. He didn’t seem to want to go in, ever. 

For once Adam wished Damien was around, so that he could explain to the kid that he’ll have a new room tonight. All he could do was hope he didn’t misunderstand and go into a panic before Don could get there. 

Unless they wanted to watch the sun set- which they could from Wesley’s new room- Adam needed to get his shivering little omega back inside. They had sat out and wandered the garden for the better part of the day. Dinner time was soon- and the temperature was dropping with the sun. Adam squeezed the omega’s hand, looking over his chill blushed features. 

Wes whined softly when he noticed Adam was heading back towards the door, the alpha stopped for him and pressed a kiss to his forehead. The omega nuzzled into the alpha’s warmth for a moment before relenting- even he could admit when it was getting too cold. 

Wesley froze in the doorway of the unfamiliar room. A look of betrayal paled his face and set a lump in is throat. Adam smiled sheepishly and tipped his head submissively. Don would be there in half an hour- he had to hold on until then. 

Wes studied the alpha he thought he could trust, every so often braving a glance around the room. Adam lifted one of the thick throw blankets off of the back of the small couch to wrap Wesley in. Wes flinched hard at the touch. 

Adam’s hands raised in defence as soon as he saw this. He backed away even though all he wanted to do was hold the omega. Wes’ thin fingers pulled at the edges of the fleece as if it would protect him from whatever this alpha had in mind. He still did not brave a step into the unexpected room. The space itself wasn’t anything ominous, at least not to the alpha. The carpeting was plush and neutral, the walls were warm, wood framed furnisher was placed just so within the area. The full sized bed was already pulled down and ready for the chilled omega to curl up in. A side closet was even stashed with nesting supplies- if Wesley wanted to do such a thing.

If only he could get Wesley into his new room. Adam whispered the omega’s name carefully. The kid looked like he was on the ledge of another panic, panic triggers seizures. Adam rolled a careful growl, kneeling on the carpet and tipping his head to the side. Wes stuttered something under his breath, emerald eyes flitting around the room once more. He glacially shuffled his feet in. 

Wes stepped around the alpha as of he were a rattle snake. He fidgetted nervously before deciding to lower himself onto the couch, the blanket pulled ever tighter around his shivering frame. Adam lifted himself from the floor, just studying his charge. Guilt was starting to weave it’s way through his heart, how cold was his little omega? How could he let him sit outside for so long like that?

He knows better than that! 

Adam hummed a little warning as he started to move. Wes was burning a hole through the alpha with his sight. Nerves were spiking again as Adam had to cross the omega in order to make it to the little half kitchenette. He just wanted to make little Wes something warm to drink. Something to help him shake this cold.

Knowing fully well that Wes didn’t lift his eyes off of the alpha for a moment. Adam set one mug of still steeping tea on the low table, and offered the other mug of hot chocolate to Wes.

Wesley was stock still for an eternal moment. His green eyes fidgeted between the alpha’s skeptically. He seemed to take a steadying breath just a few seconds before reaching out for the warmed mug. 

Pride was swelling almost uncomfortably in Adam’s chest when he saw Wesley sipping the liquid with practically no coaxing. Maybe he just really liked hot chocolate. Maybe the warmth just felt really good. It didn’t matter- he was getting over one of the largest barriers he was having to face.

Adam checked the time as he cautiously joined the omega on the couch. Fifteen minutes until Donato was supposed to arrive. This wasn’t going to be nearly as bad as he had feared. When Wesley shivered again, Adam held out an arm in offering. He was god near overheating in the warmed room, the slight chill from his snuggling omega actually felt nice. 

Don knocked on the door lightly before letting himself in. Adam had Wes’ mug in a hand since the omega had fallen sound asleep against his chest. The omega’s ear pressed right against Adam’s heartbeat.

“Lo sta prendendo bene.” (He’s taking it well.) Don commented softly with a smile. He half expected to walk in on a seizure in progress. Adam nodded carefully explaining that Wes was skeptical at first. 

“Hey, sweetie.” Don purred, nodding for Adam to wake up his charge. “It’s just me, Hun.” Wesley’s head bobbed from sleepiness before he was able to focus on Don. His too wide of a smile was shining as usual, his voice a touch louder than it needed to be- but that was Donato.

“I see you’re taking to your new room.” Don purred, fishing in his pocket for something.

“My… room?...” Wes questioned the air, looking around as if he had forgotten where he was during his slumber.

“Mhm, all yours.” Don had a marker in one hand, Adam sighed through a chuckle. He knew what Don was wanting to do. 

“But, isn’t it… alpha’s?” Wesley drunkenly dropped back into the warmth that was under Adam’s arm. 

“This room belongs to you, for however long you stay here. There’s a bathroom through that door, and there’s a closet for clothes over there: the closet over here is a bunch of nesting stuff- should you want to start a little trouble.” Don kept rambling, Adam chuckled selfishly when he noticed that Wesley was already sound asleep once again. 

“Wesley starà bene. Ti sparo un messaggio se ci sono problemi.” (Wesley’s going to be okay. I’ll shoot you a text if there are any issues.) Adam promised, tucking the fallen blanket tighter around the sleepy omega.

“Vedi se riesci a metterlo nella vasca, almeno dargli un massaggio: penso che il bambino se lo merita ormai.” (See if you can get him in the bath, at least give him a massage: I think the kid deserves it by now.) Don turned to the squat fridge to carry out one of his signature doodles. Adam just hummed his understanding, trying to figure out the chances he had of moving Wes to the bed without waking the sleepy omega. 

Zebra striped alpha was humming a wordless lullaby as he tried to get a better hold on his omega. He had made the decision to just go for moving Wesley. If he woke up- there was a good chance that he was just going to slip back under very quickly anyway. Wes groaned absently when he was lifted, the full sized mattress wasn’t far away. Maybe four steps for the alpha’s comparatively long legs. The omega still managed to tangle his arms around Adam’s neck before he could be set back down. He pulled his nose closer to the alpha’s scent. 

Adam made a fruitless effort to unwrap the omega from his hold. It was pretty clear that Wesley wasn’t going to let his alpha go. Adam instead kicked off his shoes and tucked them both into Wes’ new bed. The least he could do was relent for a little while and serve as a body pillow to the suddenly very snuggly omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you for putting up with my crap
> 
> I may or may not be able to keep this pace up for the week, I might be missing a day or two. Would you rather I use one of my older stories -one shot things- as a temporary thing or just hold off until I can continue the storyline? I still have one or two more days I can totally keep up, I don't know what's happening after that.
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	72. Damien : 9 : Quiet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my ninjas! 
> 
> Another good night for the little one.

Wesley had gotten use to the sponge baths. Now that he was moved into the more homey side of the rehabilitation center, Adam could finally take advantage of the bathtub. Now… to see if Wesley could handle it. 

The omega was still sound asleep. He was barely able to keep his eyes open long enough for Adam to get some fruit slices into him. A whole dinner was completely out of the question. Adam made a mental note to ask for extras when breakfast comes. Until then, let them try to have a good night. 

Adam had the bathroom all set up perfectly. The bath itself was a touch over bubbly because Adam kind’a dropped the bottle into the basin. Not all of it was now in the water- but a lot more than he originally intended. He had his soap within reach at the side of the porcelain. Towels piled thickly on the ledge of the sink. At this point, Adam was standing nervously by the bathroom door and gazing over the peacefully sleepy omega. His shift was ending soon- he had to get this done before Gabe gets here. 

Alpha sat on the ledge of the bed, softly cooing Wes’ name. He was trying to pull him out of whatever dream he was flitting about in. Just a bath, then he could go back to bed for the night. 

Wesley groaned. His emerald eyes blinking blindly before focusing on his alpha’s face. When he realized it was only Adam, he griped from being bothered, rolled back over, and pulled the blankets over his head. Alpha had to giggle at the sight. 

“È tempo di fare il bagno, amore.” (It’s bath time, love.) alpha’s voice almost sang with that giggle still threatening to bubble up again. His fingers threaded through Wes’ growing hair, noting that it was lightening in color since he had arrived. Perhaps because he’s been in the sunlight more: he seemed a touch calmer if the windows were open, so they always were. 

That was a sentence that the omega understood. It has been whispered to him so many times over the past two weeks that he didn’t need a translator anymore. He unburied himself, sending a disgruntled glare towards his alpha. As he sat up, Wesley looked almost confused at the lack of the bucket of water. Adam stood, reaching out a hand to silently ask Wesley to follow him.

Wesley noticed the basin as soon as he came to the door. The bubble bath was still steaming, and not completely deflated- thankfully. Adam hummed his unspeakable question. His hand was on the small of the omega’s back as he studied the surprise playing across his omega’s expression. Wesley smiled sheepishly, his fingers fiddling with the oversized smock that was draped over him. 

Adam helped him out of his clothes by untying the straps that were behind him. Goosebumps already littered his chilling skin as Adam coaxed him to sit on the ledge of the bath. Wesley reached out and touched the bubbly surface before Adam could lead him. A childish smile was sprouting on the omega. 

“Bene?” (Good?) Adam questioned lightly. Wesley tipped his head, as if searching his memory for that word. He’s heard it a thousand times, he was starting to be able to piece together some of the meanings.

Wesley nodded, once he thinks he figured out the meaning. Adam helped his charge into the slightly overfilled tub. Donato would be throwing a fit right now if he knew that Adam didn’t get into the water with the omega- for the first bath at least. He didn’t really think he should risk stripping completely, considering Wes’ history. 

Adam still pulled his shirt over his head. Wesley instantly was painted cherry. The fabric had caught hold of Adam’s hair bun and pulled most of the locks out. So now he was knelt at the side of the tub, his black and white striped, shoulder length hair now loose curled from the up-do. 

Wesley stared at the vibrant tattoo that sat on his alpha’s pec, just above his heart. It looked like a family crest, almost. An eagle over top, four quarters with three griffins and a four leafed clover. It was vibrant against his tanned skin.  
Adam let him stare for a little before trying to explain.

“Ho servito nell'aeronautica.” Adam purred carefully, finding that Wesley didn’t look like he understood at all. 

“Militare.” military. Wesley braved to trace the inking along his warm flesh. His alpha was a soldier, someone that could really protect him should the need arise. Adam caught his fingers gently and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. He wanted the omega to relax- he was going to try to push the boundaries a little bit. Just to see if he could get his Wesley high off of his own body’s hormones. 

He started by guiding Wes’ head back onto a folded cloth. He hushed carefully as he arranged the omega’s limbs to lay passively in the warm, bubbly water. Adam didn’t miss the tension in Wes’ jaw. He was reserved about what was going on- and there really wasn’t a way for Adam to explain himself first. Adam decided to start with washing his omega: if things spiraled out of hand- he would be clean, done, and ready for bed. 

His soap admittedly smelt more like a forest than it needed to. The pine sting of the suds didn’t seem to bother Wes at least. Adam busied himself with massaging small circles over the omega’s frame. As he proceeded, his charge became more pliant in his hands. Wesley seemed to be on the brink of slumber by the time he worked his way up to the omega’s thin face. 

Not wanting to risk shattering the passiveness of his charge, Adam decided it was okay to miss one day of hair washing- he would be in the bath again tomorrow anyway. Instead he fished out the closest arm, and began to press his fingers along the inside of Wes’ wrist. There was a gland there that Adam was seeking out- one that would tell him how Wesley would react to this. 

He knew he had found it when Wesley let out a startled whine. Adam hushed under his breath as he studied his omega, his touch still rubbing those small, predictable circles. Emerald eyes locked to his face. They were glazed over for a moment- nerves paled his complexion, but he managed to stay still for his alpha.

Adam hushed again, pressing just a little firmer on the point. Wesley shivered from the flood of tingles that must have been rushing his veins. His voice hitched in something that bordered a moan when Adam didn’t relent. Just the littlest pressure point was eliciting such a reaction- when was the last time his omega was actually allowed to relax? 

Wrist glands were something that omegas absently massaged on their own whenever they were stressed- was Wesley punished for doing such a natural thing? Why else would he be so… reactive? Adam was second thinking on moving on with the ministrations: Wesley may not be able to handle such things.

Adam slid his touch higher on the omega’s arm, he was searching for the second pressure point. He knew he had found it near the bend in Wes’ elbow when he yelped a moan. Adam let that rolling growl fill the air, but he didn’t release where his fingers were working. Wesley’s eyes screwed shut for a moment, his body trembling despite the warmth of the bath. Just as suddenly he fell completely laxed. Adam tipped the omega’s face towards himself so that he could study the smaller features: Wesley wasn’t falling into a seizure. In fact, he looked almost blissed out. 

The alpha purred his unspeakable praise, braving to move his touch higher on the omega’s body. He teased out the omega’s reaction at first by lightly feinting his touch over the omega’s collarbones. Wesley didn’t even flinch at the prospect. His head dipped back against the tub’s edge as he arched up into his alpha’s hands. Adam almost didn’t believe what he was witnessing: his most touch starved, skittish omega… pliant and begging like this. 

Zebra stripes pressed his thumb into that feral panic inducing gland. His massaging touch caused the pent up hormones of the omega to be released all at once. At first Adam was nervous that it would be overwhelming- that he would have to find a way to ground the omega before he gets swept away in a nightmare fueled by memories. 

Wesley fell limply, trusting in his alpha’s care. Adam couldn’t help himself as he pulled his omega out of the bath to get him set up for bed, especially once he heard that elusive purr vibrating in his omega’s chest.

Adam had Wesley dried, dressed, and tucked in by the time Gabe arrived. Adam was still perched on the side of the bed, his strong hands massaging into the shoulders of the deeply asleep omega. Gabriele would practically have the night off: Wesley wasn’t going to be coming out of his high for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's still up in the hair whether or not I'll be able to keep up the usual schedule for this story line. I'm working at it- I promise.
> 
> Thank you, thank you for your continued support and curiosities! 
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	73. Damien : 10 : Foster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I for some reason didn't realize this would have been the tenth chapter. So this is a Giant freaking update just so it doesn't eat up more space. 
> 
> Hopefully the ending doesn't feel too rushed, I am what they call exhausted and am currently going to bed... went to bed. Either way g'night.
> 
> OH AND A SPOILER WARNING: if you read Paradox, this has a 'spoiler' in it. Regarding Damien, of course, but it's part of his character more than anything. The chapter that has this little tid bit isn't published yet. Because those chapters are huge bastards.

Damien was scheduled to be with the omega for the following day, alone. Adam was in the hospital- chewing Donato’s ear off first thing in the morning. It was only one day, and Wesley seemed to have taken well to Damien. If anything- they would be able to get more information on the kid’s history. Six years is a long time to be trapped somewhere. This wasn’t something that would be a short term recovery. 

Donato had brought up the option of finding a foster alpha for Wesley. Someone to help him adjust to normal living… “Normal.” The omega wasn’t going to be able to function normally. He doesn’t even know that Don had been conversing with him family yet- they’re worried about having to tell the fragil omega about the death of his mother. That was a bridge for later- thankfully Wes’ family was understanding. 

Damien greeted Gabriele with a silent nod. Wesley hadn’t as much as turned over during the course of the night. Even now he still seemed dead asleep. The decorated alpha was ticking thoughts back and forth in his mind: something he couldn’t shake was the training this kid must have endured. Then it’s all just gone like a myst. That could screw someone up more than the abuse itself. The doctors and workers here mean no harm to the kid- but this wasn’t something anyone was expecting. 

Damien had already made up his mind to give the omega a slice of familiarity. Except this time: he wouldn’t be beaten into the floor and left to drop. Damien was going to try to build up his confidence. He was starting to eat on his own after Adam was hand feeding him. Maybe he’ll start little, normal, things after a little coaching. 

Damien was going to have the omega build himself a nest. Something safe, something the omega clearly was not allowed to do during the captivity. Maybe with the security that comes with the behavior- he would be able to get a touch more of the kid’s history out of him… without sending him into a seizure. 

Wesley sat up drunkenly, earning Damien’s attention. The omega yawned with all the finesse of a hangover, dropping back down to his pillows and rolling to his side as to curl back up and resume whatever dream was interrupted. Damien chuckled at the innocence: the kid had already made strides. Hopefully that elder’s assessment of his ability to recover was wrong. That would be nice. 

The omega perked up at the laugh, his emerald eyes snapping open and fixing on the lurking alpha. Fear creased his brow for a moment, until he was able to blink the sleepy glaze away from his sight. Damien rolled a growl, slowly closing the distance between the two. He smiled at the recognition the omega had for him, he wasn’t afraid. As minimally as he was here with the omega, he remembered, which was an amazing sign for the kid’s health. 

“Good morning, sleepy.” the alpha hushed carefully, sitting on the side of the bed, to his surprise, the omega reached out and wrapped his arms around the alpha’s forearm. 

“Where Adam?” he questioned with a drunken tongue, his eyes were falling half lidded again.

“He’s probably giving Don a hard time.” Damien chuckled, shifting slightly so he could scratch just behind the omega’s ear.

“Don’s nice.” Wes slurred again, probably not even aware that he was talking. Whatever Adam did last night really got to the omega in the best kind of way. Damien’s plans would probably have to be put of until much later. He could let the little one enjoy himself for as long as he could cling to it. 

“Are you hungry, Wesley?” The alpha tipped his head, half expecting to see that the kid was sound asleep. Green, glazed eyes were staring up at the ceiling without really seeing.

“I could’ ” he mumbled the last few words to the point that Damien couldn’t even begin to understand them. He chuckled again.

“We can wait till you return to the world of the living, yeah?” 

Wes mumbled something, curling tighter around his hold on the alpha. He was pulled right back under within moments, successfully trapping Damien right where he sat. 

____________________

Wesley was set up at the wooden desk, eating his breakfast and staring out the sliding glass door. Damien had promised him that they would sit outside- after the omega ate something. Hence now he was eating.

Damien busied himself with taking inventory of what was in the closets, most of the stash was fleece blankets and overstuffed pillows. Honestly they smelt stale, whatever they were washed in was carefully scent free. Knowing Adam was undoubtedly still in the building: Damien considered closing the alpha in with the supplies for a few hours. He settled with a dish full of the alpha’s body wash instead. 

Yes, it was weird, but it worked. Wesley wanted to sit outside, which would eat up a couple hours. That was more than enough time for the forest to weave it’s way into the fabrics. 

With the final bite of omelette still in his mouth- Wesley stood from his chair and bolted for the teasing door. Damien chased after the suddenly very energetic omega onto the patio; Wesley was bent over the railing, taking in the view of the waterway. Long, colorful vessels dotted along the docks, people hurrying from place to place between them. 

“People actually live here.” He sounded in disbelief, Damien hummed his answer while placing a steadying hand on the omega’s shoulder.

“May we not risk going for a swim today?” Damien teased lightly. The omega held onto the alpha’s wrist as he was pulled back to safety. The view wasn’t as grand from the lounge chairs, but it would need to suffice. 

“Do you have any questions for me?” Damien took a seat next to the omega. Wes was glancing around energetically, this was an odd turn in the kid’s behavior. It almost worried the alpha. Hopefully he was just excited to be outside. 

“Sweetheart?” Damien tried to earn the very distracted omega’s attention once again. Wesley’s legs were bouncing uncontrollably. Damien laid a hand on one of the vibrating knees. 

“Hey, Wesley, talk to me.” Damien leaned over. The omega smiled, still refusing to make eye contact. 

“I’m kind’a thirsty.” Wesley stuttered slightly, the lie clear on his face. “Would you mind getting me something?” 

“Come inside with me?” Damien stood, offering a hand. Wes shook his head ‘no.’ 

“I wanna sit outside.” he whined too quickly. Damien looked over the energetic omega carefully. The fridge wasn’t in line of sight. The omega would be alone for a few seconds: Damien didn’t trust it. He knelt in front of the omega, holding onto his trembling hands. His jaw worked as he tried to figure out how to word this.

“I don’t know what you like, come in and see what we have? I promise we’ll be right back out before you know it.” the alpha shrouded his worry. Wesley shook his head again, more frantically.

“Just water is okay.” his voice squeaked. Damien hummed to keep his worry out of his voice. Eventually he nodded, if Wes really was just thirsty he couldn’t ignore the request. There was a chance that Wesley as just having a good day. Good days did happen. Damien left the glass door open, his eyes instinctively lined with red as he turned his back on the omega. His hearing spiked with the slight shift. He could pick up the sudden change in the omega’s breathing, the sound of his bare feet on the wooden decking.  
Not even two steps into the room, Damien turned around and bolted back where he came. He wrapped his arms around Wesley’s torso. The omega screamed in frustration as he was pulled away from the railing. He wanted to jump. He just wanted everything to end.

Damien carried the struggling omega back into his room, dropping him onto his bed. Wesley crawled out of reach frantically, falling off the other side of the mattress and continuing his escape across the carpeted floor. 

The alpha let the panic wrapped omega go, he wanted to be sure the door was closed and locked before he would risk anything like that happening again. 

“You don’t know what it’s like in my head.” Wesley hissed hauntedly. He had pressed himself against the wall and crushed himself as small as he could. Damien slowly moved to where the omega could clearly see his every movement. 

“We are here to help you, Sweetheart.” the alpha fell back on the usual sayings. Wesley whined guiltily between his teeth, covering his head as if his arms were going to deflect whatever rage Damien was going to throw. 

“Wes, I’m here to talk, I know this can’t be easy on you. What you went through wasn’t fair.” Damien braved inching closer to the omega. He still had his hands out for the omega to see: not that he was looking up. This was more than enough to trigger a seizure. Alpha had to calm the kid quickly. 

“I’m sorry.” Wesley screamed, Damien tried to hush the panicked cries. He could hear the group congregating just outside door of the room. Soon enough Adam would get word that something was off, he would more than likely be here in a few minutes. Wesley knew Adam, he would probably feel safer wrapped in his arms verses the tattooed creature. Damien was still going to try.

“Come here.” Damien didn’t use a command, but the omega recognized it was such. Wes crawled forward, head low and voice on the verge of a sob. 

“Look at me,” the alpha made an effort to soften his voice, his touch ghosted over the tear stained cheeks of the deteriorating omega. “We’ve got you, not those monsters. It’s going to take time for you to understand what that means: I know, but you are safe here.”

Adam didn’t even knock, he burst into the room, embedding the door handle into the wall. All he saw was his omega, in clear distress, knelt in front of the newbie. Damien was only half shocked when Adam punched him square in the jaw. Damien admittedly didn’t really notice the blow, but he took the hint and backed off. Adam dropped to the floor and wrapped Wesley in a god near crushing hug. 

Damien tried to speak, he was cut off instantly by a feral snarl. Wesley sobbed at the sound, a trapped corner of his mind thinking it was at him. Adam tucked the omega closer into his scent, his eyes burning a demonic red and following Damien as he raised his hands in surrender. He would have to explain everything to Don. For now- Adam wasn’t going to let anyone near this omega. Hell, Wesley wasn’t going to be out of his sight for a very long time. 

Perhaps Don would be able to text Adam that Wesley was on a suicide watch now. Talking was no longer an option. 

Adam didn’t breathe until the door was closed behind that demonic alpha. Wesley was shaking in his arms, the omega couldn’t seem to catch his breath between his cries. Adam pressed a string of kisses into his omega’s hairline. He purred carefully as he tried to gather Wesley into his lap. Wesley pressed against the claustrophobic limbs weakly. Adam only adjusted his hold to cup the omega’s face and press him against his shoulder. 

Adam continued to rock in place in the middle of Wes’ room. His phone buzzed from his back pocket, it was left ignored. He had more important things to attend to. 

Wesley eventually relaxed to a shiver. Adam took it as a chance to stand with the little one in his arms, he was moving the omega onto the bed. It had to have been comfier than the floor. The omega clung to zebra’s side, his thin fists digging into Adam’s sweatshirt. Only after Wes’ eyes slid shut did Adam try to maneuver to reach his phone. 

The texts have been coming in streadily: whatever it was Don was adamant to gain the alpha’s attention.

“Wesley, Grigio” was sent, multiple times. Wesley, code grey. He was suicidal. Adam’s hold on the omega only tightened. It wasn’t impossible- it should actually be expected, all things considered. Like hell he was going to let the kid end everything now that he was finally safe. So that was why he was so distraught when he walked into the room. 

He pressed another kiss into the omega’s forehead. Wes grumbled drunkenly, his mind pulling him under in sleep because it was just easier that way. Easier than facing reality for the moment. 

Wes was so relaxed last night: he thought he had made a breakthrough. Now this. The alpha didn’t want to let go of the fragil man. Don had brought up finding a foster alpha.

Adam had half a mind to put in a second application. It’s impossible to not get attached to the assignments in this line of work. Adam has normally been pretty good at keeping a level of distance. This omega dropped him to his knees quickly. Wesley ate up his thoughts, god near possessed his senses every time they shared the room. Adam never felt like this towards an assignment. Wesley had gone through an actual hell, and Adam was honored to have the opportunity to show him that the world wasn’t as dark as Wes believed it was. Wesley would need to be alive for that to happen. 

Another bath? Wesley didn’t seem to have a care in the world after he was flooded with his body’s drugs. Donato will want to have Wes moved to the psychology wing, put Wes under a proper suicide watch. The thought of that boiled the alpha’s blood. Other alphas, ones the omega has never seen before, would constantly be invading and scrutinizing his every move and privacy. His omega knew him, he would do anything to be able to stay at his side. 

Wesley wasn’t sleeping, though he wanted to be. Tears were carving wet lines down his cheeks, softly pooling on Adam’s light colored jacket. 

“Ehi, cucciolo.” (Hey, Puppy.) Adam thumbed the tears away, murmuring under his breath and allowing that rolling growl vibrate in his chest. He was all but begging for Wesley to come back to him. Come back to reality and out of his thoughts. For once he didn’t need to hide: no one was going to hurt him. Adam would make sure of that. 

Adam lifted Wes’ hand, almost pressing his lips into the gland before he caught himself. He was an accompanying alpha, he was not allowed to do things that intimate with his charges. 

They did a lot with the omegas, but kissing glands, lips, sex… he was starting to skirt dangerous territory. Adam didn’t have a doubt that he loved Wesley- but he was working. Wesley was assigned to him… Wes didn’t have a choice in the matter. For all he knew- the omega was attached to him just out of familiarity. Wes might think of him as a family member. Not as a prospective mate… 

A bath. The alpha reminded himself. It would probably settle the both of them. A bath and a nest. He hasn’t touched the supplies as of yet- maybe it’ll help pull him out of this mindset. Maybe it’ll help him open up to Don when he comes in to question the omega. 

“Andiamo a lavare. Tempo del bagno?” (Let’s go wash up. Bath time?) Adam purred the words into the omega’s hairline. The last few seemed to recognized by Wes almost as naturally as english. The little omega was learning- Adam was trying to learn english as well. He was too afraid to try it with the omega though: what if he said the wrong thing, thinking it meant another? He didn’t want to screw it up with the little one just because he couldn’t remember the right translation of something. 

Adam sat Wesley on the bathroom’s counter. He purred carefully as he ran his fingers through the omega’s stubble. He wanted to offer to shave Wes like he normally did- but having a razor near the throat of a code grey would get both of them in hot water. So Adam pressed an apologetic kiss to Wes’ nose before turning to prepare the large bath. Wesley was soon nestled between Adam’s legs. They both were in the bath- Wesley nervously distracting himself with the thousands of bubbles that surrounded him. Adam smoothed a hand over the thin shoulder that was hunched before him. He didn’t exactly flinch- but his anxiety was clear as Adam led the smaller to lean back onto his alpha’s chest. 

“Come la scorsa notte, sono solo un po 'più vicino.” (Like last night, I’m just a little closer.) The words were lost on his charge. “Va bene, cucciolo.” (It’s okay, Puppy.) Adam nosed into his charge’s panic soured scent, just holding him until he calms down. 

____________________

Wesley was warm and drunk as he laid on his side. Adam had just opened the nesting closet but he was stunned into stillness from the wave of his own scent. A suspicious little saucer of strong soap was set in the center of the floor- drenching each thread in irrefutable Adam. 

Damien wasn’t even pretending to become the kid’s main attendant. Hell, maybe he should apologize to the creature. Not that Donato wasn’t going to chew his ear off over the punch to begin with. 

____________________

Adam was possessively curled around Wesley’s sleeping form when the door opened. To his surprise, three people looked in at him. Damien stuck out more than the other two, guilt and hate did an unusual dance in Adam’s gut as he diverted his eyes. 

“Su.”(Up.) Don barked on a controlled breath. Adam swallowed his nerves, carefully extracting his limbs from around the omega. At least he was able to take care of Wesley one more time. Damien- much to Adam’s surprise- patted the alpha’s shoulder as he passed, whispering that he would take care of Wes. Don’t worry. 

Donato paced into his office, pointing abruptly at a chair. Adam took his assigned seat, feeling more and more like a student being sent to detention every second.

“Sei così dannatamente fortunato che Vagner sia tanto comprensivo quanto lui.” (You are so damn lucky that Vagner is as understanding as he is.) Don growled, clearly trying to reign in the temper that got him the head spot in the hospital. 

“Hai preso a pugni un collega. Non mi interessa la circostanza, non è un comportamento accettabile.” (You punched a colleague. I don’t care about the circumstances, that is not acceptable behavior.) Don visibly bit off whatever he was going to continue to say next. His startling blue eyes barely bridling the rage that was pulsing his veins. It was Adam’s turn to talk, but his tongue was a helpless lump of coal in the bottom of his mouth. 

“Non ti ho mai visto così difficile per un incarico prima. Adam, stai bene?” (I’ve never seen you fall so hard for an assignment before. Adam, are you okay?) Don took a breath, massaging away a migraine. 

“E non pensare di non aver ottenuto la tua domanda. Ha bisogno di un fidanzato a tempo pieno, vicino alla sua famiglia, in Inghilterra.” (And do not think I didn't get your application. He needs a full-time foster, close to his family, in England.) Don resumed to pinning the alpha under his gaze, Adam shrinking under the weight of everything. “Not to mention you don’t speak english.” 

“I’m learning.” Adam snapped, his accent still very thick. An amused little smirk graced Don’s expression. Adam sucked a breath, latching his hands together to stop himself from shivering under the omega’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Mi sto ritirando dal servizio. Sono libero di trasferirmi in Inghilterra se questo è ciò che deve accadere ... Se diventerò la sua custodia, non avrò più bisogno di venire qui, a prescindere.” (I'm withdrawing from the service. I am free to move to England if that is what must happen... If I become his foster, I will no longer need to come here anyway.) He felt like he needed to say more- explain himself better. He thought he had all of it figured out. Now that it was in the open air: even he could poke all the holes in his own plans. 

“Ciò non significa che sia innamorato di te. Se Wesley vuole andarsene, ho bisogno di sapere che lo lasceresti andare.” (This does not mean that he is in love with you. If Wesley wants to leave, I need to know you would let him go.) Don’s voice hardened. Hope sparked in Adam’s chest. For the first time in this conversation he raised his sight to meet the omega’s. 

“ Non gli farei mai del male.” (I would never hurt him.) Adam’s voice edged a growl. His chocolate irises rimmed with red. Don hummed his understanding, shuffling a few papers on the desk around before glancing one over. 

“Wesley sarà eleggibile per il programma adottivo in poche settimane.” (Wesley will be eligible for the adoptive program in a few weeks.) The omega sighed, cracking a kink out of his his neck, “I highly suggest you start practicing.”

Adam beamed with excitement. It wasn’t in stone, but he had a real chance of taking Wesley into his custody, as his alpha. As Donato said- that doesn’t mean Wes was in love with him, but he wouldn’t have to risk some stranger taking Wes away. 

“Vai a prendere qualcosa da mangiare. Una volta che il dott. Ricci ha finito, puoi ricongiungerti al tuo omega per la notte.” (Go get something to eat. Once Dr. Ricci is done, you can rejoin your omega for the night.) Don waved the alpha away. He gave him a hard enough time. Don was beyond thankful Damien had the temperament he did. If Adam had hit any other alpha- there would have been a fight right there in that room. 

____________________

Adam didn’t know how to handle the next few weeks. They both raced and dragged. It didn’t feel like enough time to learn a whole other language: but he wouldn’t find out if Wesley would agree to go home with him until the last minute. It was torture with a feather. 

His view of Damien soften the more he got to know the guy. Despite his appearance- he was actually a really chill dude. Adam bumped into him a couple times during lunch. 

“Why you apply here?” Adam felt extra vulnerable outside of his natural language, but he needs to practice. There was a grave shortage of people that spoke English around here.

“Why did I apply here?” Damien echoed, taking another bite out of his sandwich. Adam nodded, more or less chasing his food around his plate. 

“My wife is a U.S. soldier. She rescued a group of omegas in pretty bad condition a few years ago. It’s been bothering her that she didn’t know what happen to them. So I promised her I would find out.” Damien sucked another breath, clearly mentally dodging tears. He glanced at the zebra striped alpha just be be sure he was able to follow the conversation. 

“She is soldier?” Adam had to force himself not to switch to italian. “America… allow omega fighters?”

“Alpha.” Damien smiled selfishly. “A fierce one at that.” Adam studied the deep eyes of the decorated alpha. 

“She is home?” Adam read the answer off of Damien’s face. 

“They believe she is a prisoner of war. They’re trying to find her.” Damien threaded his fingers through his short hair, a lopsided smile eventually tugged on the corner of his lips. “Nickie’s probably raising hell, they’ll be begging for us to take her back in no time.”

“At least I’ll be able to reassure her that those little ones she rescued had the best care in the world.” Damien’s signature smile was back, stuffing the last of the sandwich between his teeth. 

____________________

Donato had the paperwork in his hands. Adam was helping Wesley into street worthy clothes, testing out the little english phrases that he had picked up over the last month. 

“Home?” Wes squeaked. 

“I found a home just a few blocks away from Aunt Jane. We’re going to my house for a few days- then we’ll be traveling there.” Adam purred carefully. Thinking over every word twice just to be sure. 

“Questo è un grande cambiamento per te. Sei bravo?” (This is a big change for you. You’re good?) Don studied the two, he wasn’t overly worried about the omega, but he was still skeptical that this wasn’t too much for Adam to handle. 

“We got this. Se c'è qualche problema, ti chiamerò. Promettere.” (If there is any problems, I will call you. Promise.) Adam pressed a kiss into Wes’ palms. 

“Can we come back here to visit?” Wes questioned on a quiet breath. Adam nodded, the promise easily made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll see everyone in two days. I'll probably be sleeping during most of the time. (Wednesday the 24th)
> 
> Thank you for putting up with my crap for another chapter/ storyline/ whatever this is
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments!


	74. Garrett : 1 : Exotic Pets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my Ninjas~
> 
> So this is another vein from Severian's line. We all know how that goes. Now that they're set up to be just as insane as they are, be ready for some dark humor. 'Cus that's how I deal with a lot of things. 
> 
> If I can do this right, somewhere in these chapters there should be a hard punch to the gut in the feels department. I haven't gotten that far yet- and it may still be canceled. But it's a thing in the works. 
> 
> Also, I'm curious to hear from you guys if you think any of these characters are heroes or villains in the grand scheme of things. Not just their own story, but in the city as a whole. You'll understand the question eventually, the thought has triggered a line that Zen will eventually say.  
> (personally I don't assign the roles as I create my babies)

Severian bounced his knees in anticipation, Zen had a toy for him. She was making him wait: which wasn’t unusual. The target was probably someone that pissed her off one too many times. Being the forgiving Queen she is, she was probably giving the bastard a chance to change their mind. Selfishly Sev hoped they didn’t, he could use some stress relief. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket, from Lance: “Come.” Severian giggled as he slipped out of his car, bouncing into the river of pedestrians.

“Honey, I’m home!” Sev sang as he tapped into Zen’s office. She was sat on the love-seat in the center of the room, that toy he dropped off a few days ago curled up on her lap. He had a cast on his arm- so they did decide to keep the limb, Sev would have just cut it off. The man jolted as soon as he saw Severian, pure fear in his eyes. 

“Lance, if you would please.” Zen’s smooth voice carried, the large man paced from his place against the wall. 

“Come on, Sweetie.” Lance’s words bordered a purr, lifting the man from Zen’s hold. The two of them left the room without incident. 

“Do you like it?” Sev’s pride swelled with his grin. 

“Went a little over the top, didn’t you?” she tsked, that selfish amused glint still in her expression. 

“Did I mention you look gorgeous today, my Queen?” Severian sang once again. She had snake like yellow contact lenses, her make up was dark and fierce, and her outfit was something straight out of a wet dream. He earned that lopsided smirk once again. 

“So, about the next assignment.” She leaned forward to slip the envelope closer to her assassin. “He’s probably paranoid right now. After all, everyone that gets on my nerves has the tendency to disappear.” 

Severian tore the paper open like a child on Christmas. He was surprised to see a politician pictured. 

“He has tried to make a couple unsavory deals with me. Honestly, not even a restraining order and double the bodyguards would be enough to keep him a comfortable distance.” Zen settled back onto the couch, cozying up with warmth. Severian was studying every detail of the man. He looked at least half Russian. Blond hair, whether or not it was natural was up for debate- his eyebrows were offly dark for the soft sand he was sporting. Pudgy man, resembling more of a piglet than anything else… oh god, now that Sev made the connection- he can’t unsee it. 

“Any requests on how Piglet should be taken care of?” Sev tipped his head to show he was listening, even though he was still looking over the picture. 

“When I said accident before- you murdered him in an alleyway.” Zen pointed out, “Granted it worked that time. But there are more people paying attention now. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s already warned people that if anything happens to him, it was my doing.” She didn’t look nearly as worried as she should. Sev’s pride was going to go nuclear if this kept up. 

“Want me to stake out for a few days first: lay low for a week or so? Or should I mess with his sanity and make everyone around him think he’s completely lost his marbles?” Severian finally placed the assignment back on the table, instead lifting Zen’s untouched liquor glass in an offering. 

“He’s already paranoid, it won’t take much to push him over the edge of credibility.” Zen nodded, to both prospects. Severian hummed his excitement and stood to fetch the coffer of awaiting vodka. 

____________________

Step one of making someone paranoid, do nothing. Severian was looking over the email that just pinged on his phone as he opened his front door. Dakota was in the kitchen looking guilty from across the counter. 

Right. He still has to clean that. He was so done with last night and that whole “Geovanti episode” that he just went to bed: toting a couple beers with him as he went. Scotty had just sent out the new schedule for the next two weeks. Four days this week- looks like he’s working with good people too. 

“I couldn’t get the stain out of the couch.” Dakota reported with a shrug, a soda can in his hands. 

“You cleaned everywhere else?” Sev studied his surroundings, that sterile sting of cleaning solution still lingering in the air. He did a pretty good job actually, considering everything. 

“What I could.” Dakota took a swig of carbonation. “I’m sure you’ll let me know what I fucked up on.” Yeah, fair enough assumption. 

“I’ll see what I can do about the couch after diner.” Severian nodded his temporary approval. Sev opened the fridge to hunt down something to eat, a plastic wrapped plate earned his disgust. 

Sev could feel his upper lip snarling with distaste as he pulled out the forearm and oddly bent hand: Dakota’s leftovers were wrapped neatly and placed in the refrigerator. 

“Like you don’t keep meat in the fridge.” Dakota snorted, the “No Duh,” was kept unsaid but clear on his face. Severian was rendered speechless as he placed it on the center island, turning back: afraid of what he might find. Any organs? Anything for dessert? What do cannibals even eat as dessert?

Dakota was like an exotic pet. Severian would have to store exotic food for such an exotic pet. He was starting to think of the still very nude blond as a python more than anything else. 

“Bottom shelf. I don’t need any of your human smoothie juices getting on my fruit.” Sev gave himself the heebies with that statement.

“Why, god, is that a sentence that I actually had to say?” He commented to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose in a hope to staff off the pending headache. 

“Bottom shelf?” Dakota raised an eyebrow.

“If I find your shit anywhere other than right there, you’re gonna crash course vegan.” Sev narrowed his violet eyes dangerously, pointing at the lowest drawer of the defrosting refrigerator. “Got it?”

Dakota nodded, peeling back a corner of the wrap and prying a sliver of meat from the limb. Geebies joined the heebies, thus Sev turned away abruptly to go take a shower, or read, or put a nail through his head- anything but deal with his new live-in exotic python. 

Severian stepped from his shower, physically feeling his mascara bleeding down his cheeks and turning him into a stained panda. The mirrors were fogged to the point they were utterly useless. So he just blindly swiped at his face and hoped for the best. 

Dakota was a quiet house mate at least. If Severian could get the images of leftovers out of his head- he could almost pretend it was just another pet in the chamber. This blond was the first pet he’s allowed to leave the house, Sev figured this was kind of a special circumstance. If Dakota wasn’t allowed to hunt and eat- Severian would become the target. Look at what happen to Seth after all. 

God, Zen was pissed about that. 

Meaningless to say- Sev had lost his appetite. He had a pretty big lunch anyway, missing one meal wouldn’t really affect him all that much. Just as the assassin flopped down on his mattress he remembered that insufferable stain. 

Fuck, he still has to deal with the couch. If that weird fuck was so adamant on killing himself- why couldn’t he have just gone outside first? He left such a fucking mess.  
With swearing out of his system, Severian rolled onto his feet to see if that upholstery was salvageable. If not, he would have to burn the damned thing- there’s no way the garbage pickup wouldn’t be asking questions as soon as they saw it. Sev really didn’t want to have to deal with moving again- he finally found a place he actually liked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosities!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	75. Garrett : 2 : Too Sober

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an answer to last episode's cliff hanger. unless you looked at the tags. yeah, that's a thing.

Morning came too early, Sev had to clock into work in five hours, in the city. Sev most definitely did not live in the city. Zen pushed for him to get a “normal” job in the thick of things so if he was ever caught there on suspicion he could totally have the alibi of “I was just hanging out with work buddies.” He didn’t actually plan on making friends: but facing a mortal hell everyday with the people formed alliances. 

Half remembering that there was a rouge python wandering the halls, Sev was sporting a pair of briefs as he began to scrounge for a cup of coffee. Two sets of yellow eyes greeted him. 

Ice flooded his veins as he twitched, suddenly the location of every weapon in his house was a mystery to him as he stood in the foyer. 

“I killed you.” Sev accused, biting the inside of his mouth to see if this was some kind of dream, nightmare? Dead don’t come back. Zombie? Another Geovanti? Was it some kind of android that was being sent to his house as a way to fuck with his sanity?

“I already told you, I can’t die.” Geo smiled with its too sharp of teeth. its hair was even more of a mess than last time- now sporting mud and blood from where Severian had disposed of the body. It was a body right? It had shot itself in the head. There was no reason for Severian to check for a pulse, it was missing half of its brain!

“I scrubbed your fucking brains out of my carpet. You were very, irrefutably fucking dead!” Sev tilted his head, impulsively counting his fingers repeatedly. Dreams always had a flaw. One too many fingers, an eye color was wrong, maybe the writing on the newspaper would change. There had to have been a tell. 

The filthy child sauntered closer, holding out its arms for a hug. “Are you that happy to see me? Am I your Christ now?” Blood was still caked to its face, its temple, but the hole itself was completely gone. Sev couldn’t even see an telltale indentation of a scar. It was fucking healed like nothing had happened.

“Go fucking shower,” Sev snapped, watching as dirt and dead leaves fell off of Geo’s nude form. 

“Why?” a childish voice played, dangerously yellow eyes filled with trouble. 

“Either you stop dropping shit all over, or I’m taking you out back and pressure washing your ass.” Sev’s warning was met with a maniac’s giggle. 

“Just my ass?” Geo tsked, “I know I’m a fine piece of man meat, but at least pretend to take me out for dinner first?” The urge to re-kill Geo flashed in Sev’s mind. His limbs almost closing the distance to choke that feeble neck. Not that it would do any good: but it would have felt normal. 

“I’m not drunk enough to deal with you.” Sev hissed, pointing at Dakota. “Whatever the fuck it fucks up, make sure this place is spotless by the time I get back. So help me god.”

____________________

Severian made it to work just in time: he had opted to pick up an overpriced, under sized cup of coffee on his way there. Patrons and workers were already jammed into the compact bar. As Sev punched his number into one of the computers, Scotty- also called TenPoint for some fucking reason- clapped a hand onto his shoulder.

“Ready?” he already looked like he had hell handed to him today- his shift had just started two hours ago. 

“I’m here.” Sev snorted, shifting his gaze to the lineup for the night. Aida, Eddie, Omar, Aden, Severian, Tony, Ryan: mostly good people. There shouldn’t be too many problems tonight. In theory. 

“Aida folladora!” a voice easily recognized as Eric boomed from the grill side of the kitchen. 

“Aida!” another voice boomed, closer to the kitchen door, Eddie? 

“Greeting a table,” Aida yelled back, a stack of silverware in one hand and a platter of liquor in the other. He was bolting up the staircase before the Spanish curse could be called out after him.

“You have the forties,” Scotty tapped the floor plan, “they just sat forty three, two top, Lit and dirty shirley. You got it?” Sev nodded to the manager, punching the order into the computer before even tying his apron around his waist. 

Severian winked as he approached the table, two guys in suits, either on lunch or just got off. Either way- businessmen tend to tip well. 

“So, which one of you gentlemen had the Long Island?”

____________________

“Where’s my straw dick?” Sev bantered in the center of the chaos, one of the albino twins was on service bar- he was responsible for making all of the drinks the servers needed.

“Where’s my glassware?” Aden barked back while pouring a couple breeds of liquor into a shaker. Bottles clanked loudly back into their slots, Aden lifted the blender full of the prepared pink drink and thumped it onto the counter before continuing with his current project. Sev snorted as he pulled a rack out of storage to fish out a tall glass. His table, the birthday girl no less, had been waiting far too long for the daiquiri. 

____________________

A little giggle filled the backroom for a moment. Omar and Ryan collided, chips flew everywhere, nacho cheese now covered their uniforms. Omar burst into laughter as soon as he realized just how far the corn projectiles has flown. Ryan- not only covered in dead nachos- had dropped three glasses of soda. Which now was a shattered mess on the tile flooring. Thankfully not near the drink station: no one had the time to burn the ice. 

“You guys good?” TenPoint barked from the office, he was hunched over with a bottle of maybe water, maybe jack daniels, in a white knuckled fist. 

“We’re fine, just give us a second to de-cheese” Ryan hissed between teeth, he soaked a white rag in hot water from the coffee machine and began to smear the nuclear yellow goo from his black uniform.

____________________

“Last call!” Aida’s voice boomed over the still very crowded bar. Severian was taking a sanity break in the office, praises for a god he’s still sketchy with on the tip of his tongue. Last call for alcohol: it was twelve thirty, half an hour before close. Kitchen was closing, drinks were stopping. Eventually the bastards had to leave. 

He bounced between his sore feet to try to regain some of his pep back. Last push, come on. 

“You goin’ to bulldog’s afterward?” Tony cracked his neck, glancing into a checkbook with a sneer. 

“They stiff you?” Sev instinctively double checked the bills he had printed out and ready on his hip. 

“Five on a Sixty.” Tony reported dryly. 

“Least they covered tip-out.” Sev shrugged, glancing over his last four tables: forty seven looked ready to for the check, forty two just got their dessert, forty five had payment ready at the end of the table, forty four looked plastered and was totally going to be a pain in the wrong end. 

“Why? Don’t you love paying to work?” Tony smiled playfully, earning a scoff from the assassin. 

____________________

Two in the morning, Severian was sitting in the driver seat of his car. Feeling every heartbeat in his legs from the day’s happenings. He earned over a hundred tonight- which was a good thing. Was it worth the chaos? Probably not, but he’d be back here tomorrow ready to face the same thing all over again nonetheless. 

He bought some time to just enjoy sitting by reading through the random notifications on his phone. Lance had sent him a text, “Pay piglet a visit.” 

The said politician had probably done something to piss off Zen even more than he already had. 

“Do you want a pizza or just a movie night?” Severian texted back. The message was sent over an hour ago- but he was in his other job. Zen understood. She would have to- she’s the one that had the idea of Severian getting it in the first place. 

“Movie.” Lance responded quickly. So Piggy wasn’t going to die tonight, this was just something to mess with his sanity. Severian promptly drove to the nearest corner pharmacy to buy a small pack of some knock off pain relief. Anything to help the throb in his head and feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Larger updates because I want a lot to happen in this little vein. Now- to see if I can type fast enough to keep up with my own head~


	76. Garrett : 3 : Wake-up call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my ninjas! 
> 
> Another day another chapter~
> 
> (holy hell, when did we reach 2000 hits!? now we're almost at 2100?? I really need to start paying attention to that. thank you guys so much!)

Gated community. Why does this not surprise the assassin? Severian was parked in a garage, carefully in the shadows and away from the surveillance cameras. He would have to walk the six blocks to the pig’s house. Sev’s shoulders dropped as he arched his head back in a wailing whine. Just as abruptly he silenced himself, his expression dropping to half lidded glare. He didn’t even have a good disguise; in the fuckatry that was this morning, he forgot to bring a change of clothes. His work uniform was mostly black- did that count?

“Okay… here we go. Come on legs- I need you.” he hyped in a growl, throwing himself out of the door and starting the trek: one painful step at a time.  
He tipped his head up at the grand suite, security was easily triple what it actually needed to be. Clearly he was terrified of Zen, considering an assassin was about to break in just to fuck with him a little- he had at least half a brain cell. 

Just here to screw with him. The most effective way to pull that off is for Piggy to be the only one to see the evidence of Sev’s presence. Fifteen security guards, none of them seeing anything, and a raving paranoid lunatic telling them that they didn’t do their jobs. Sounds good to Sev, hopefully this is what Zen meant by a movie night. 

Three in the morning, normal people are sleep at this time, but lights were still on in the house. Sev watched from atop the brick wall, a tree lending him some sense of camouflage. There wasn’t any sign of patrol in the house itself, two lights were on, one Sev suspected to be the kitchen- the other had a couple plants in the windowsill. Maybe the sitting room or a study? No shadows passed over the panes, so there wasn’t anyone pacing around. All the guards were outside then? One of two reasons: he was doing something he was utterly terrified others would find out about, or he was just that level of paranoid that not even his employees were allowed near him. 

Sev spent some time to just study the pacing patterns of the security, a guy was stationed on every corner of the house, not that they looked overly alert at the moment. They were probably already questioning the reason for their presence. 

Okay, three, two… Sev leaped from his vantage point and grappled up the side of the house with all the dexterity of a half drunk spiderman. He edged under the kitchen window. It was small enough- probably over the sink- that people don’t tend to think to lock them. Precariously hanging by a plank that barely looked like it could support itself, Sev teased out the edge of the screen. It removed easily enough, just some little spring loaded hold that gave willingly under his nails. The window itself was left wide open. Forget locking it, Mr Piglet apparently was enjoying the frosty early winter air. 

As soon as Sev wedged himself into the kitchen, he understood completely why no one wanted to be in the house with him. The sounds were coming from down the hall, his bedroom? He had a prostitute or a boyfriend, either way- it was against his whole political campaign. What ever he was doing: it sounded like a terrible knock off of some snuff porn. 

Sev didn’t need to worry about security coming to catch him- they may actually be thankful if they didn’t have to come back for work. 

The assassin glanced around the messy house, clearly he was a bachelor- piles of disregarded clothes and trash littered the edges of every room Severian had the nerve to glance in. 

Misplacing something to screw with him wouldn’t work. There wasn’t order to begin with. 

His phone was abandoned on the counter. 

Sev used a gloved hand to lift the pristine device, he tilted it into the light, studying the fingerprints left behind on the glass screen protector. 

One pattern in particular was more prominent than the others, just as Sev suspected: there was a swipe lock on the phone. At the third attempt, the phone blinked obediently up at the assassin. He could change the background picture. It’s got to be something that would really mess with him though. 

He could snap a pic of the two in the bedroom. Or maybe take a little recording of their chorus, set it as a ringtone. It’s less likely for him to get spotted if he takes an audio recording. 

So, guess who’s got a new ringtone now?

Severian slipped out the way he came in, the guards looked no different from before. If nothing else, the one on the front corner watch looked as if he was barely keeping his eyes open. 

Too easy.

____________________

Five in the morning, Severian finally pulled into his driveway. He had picked up some drive thru reject form of diner and had eaten while he was driving. He really hoped that Dakota had cleaned up after that undead pain in the ass. He held his apron under one arm and a balled up paper bag in the other. The hallway looked and smelt clean. The kitchen was lacking a body laying across the center island- which was a good sign. Sev had to start work at one, there wasn’t enough hours in the day. Sleep was quickly becoming a luxury between his two jobs.

Dakota was asleep on the couch, Geo was wide awake, sitting with one of Severian’s books in his lap. Peaceful enough, Sev needed sleep, he would deal with the bastards in the morning. 

______________

Severian woke just before his alarm, a dull pain radiating from his left forearm. He tried to pull the limb closer, his eyes still closed from sleep. Something pulled it back out to where it was. 

Sev bolted to full awareness, narrowing his sight on the mop of pseudo clean black hair. Blood dripped from his wrist- that freak lapping up the fluid as if it was the most amazing thing in the world. 

Severian screamed incoherently- not even thinking when he pulled the knife out of his pillowcase to thrust it into the vampire’s nape. Geo made a half hearted sound, his body falling limp and out of his control. 

The bleeding man pulled himself together, now sitting on the floor of his bedroom with his profusely seeping arm held close to his chest. He swallowed against the paralyzing fear, pressing harder against the gash. His awareness swam, darkness trying to sway him under. Too much blood, too quickly. Sev forced himself to move, crawl towards the end table to fumble for his phone.

Emmett’s voice questioned from the small speaker, Sev couldn’t conjure enough strength to answer. From the corner of his narrowing vision Dakota was lurking in the hallway. Sev did his best to harden his expression, that cannibal had a strange look in his eye. 

“Don’t you get any ideas.” Severian slurred more than he wanted to admit, as it was, he was hoping he was actually forming words. 

It takes fifteen minutes for Garrett to get to his house once he leaves. Severian just had to hope that he would get there in time, and that Dakota wouldn’t kill Garret along with everyone else. 

Looks like he isn’t making it to work today. 

Three men were barking at him, sounded like they were on the other side of a tunnel. Pain radiated from his arm, another bark from a very dominate voice. 

Severian didn’t realize he was mumbling incoherently as he blinked his blurry vision. Dakota wasn’t there, neither was Geo. Garrett, a lanky dark skinned man, was hunched over Sev’s head. Someone had a firm hold on the assassin’s arm. Another man, Sev couldn’t think of his name at the moment, has the assassin’s hand pinned under a knee and a solid palm on his shoulder. 

“You coming back to us?” one of them questioned, Sev tested his limbs, finding that most of them were either not responding or being held down. 

“Come on, Sevie,” Garrett patted the paling cheek, earning a disgruntled scoff. 

____________________

“Do you need to call Rowlkin?” Zen’s voice startled the assassin. He was set up in a safe house, the resident doctor had already checked him over twice. He was okay- just a little weakened from his non-consensual donation.

“I should.” Sev griped. He wasn’t looking forward to facing Zen yet, at all. He had half a hope that she wouldn’t be involved. Sev should know better. 

“What happen?” her expression held something between concern and rage. There was no use in lying to her.

“Remember golden baby?” Severian started.

“I told you he was too dangerous to keep around.” she growled accusingly, folding her hands in her lap to keep herself from slapping the violet painted man.

“Well, there are two of them now.” Sev groaned at the sudden wave of dizziness that washed over him. Doc told him this would happen, but it still felt like shit. 

“What? Did you get him fuckin pregnant or something?” Zen bit her tongue immediately after, motioning for him to continue.

“The other guy is more jacked than the first. I’ve killed it twice so far… doesn’t stay dead. That thing is the one that did this.” Sev braced himself for whatever wrath Zen was about to throw at him. She seemed to be taking in the story- as far fetched as it was.

“Where are they now?” She eventually raised her now green eyes to her assassin. Her hair was painted a pastel pink, a soft makeup blush graced her cheeks. 

“I don’t know. Last I know- Geo, the weirdo, was dead on my bed and Dakota was stalking me from the hallway.” exhaustion was starting to over-take him. 

“I’ll see what I can do about finding you someone to back you up. As long as you promise to not get this one eaten.”

____________________

“You sure you’re okay?” Scotty sounded honestly concerned. Severian promised for the hundredth time that he would be fine. It was just a drunken accident. He would be cleared for work in a few days.

____________________

“If I don’t hear from you in five- I’m sending swat.” the phone call with Lance was cut short as Severian’s pride was actively being bruised all to hell. Geovanti had gotten the upper hand once- never again. 

With a gun in hand, Severian unlocked his door and brazenly paced into his house. There was no reason he should be concerned about entering his own space, his own territory- like hell he was going to let some python fuck chase him out of his own home. 

“Back so soon?” Geo hummed, “Sorry about that, I didn’t expect to spook you so badly.” 

Severian leveled the gun, his violet eyes narrowed on the demon. “Never again.” a snarl coiled in his throat. Geo tipped his head indifferently.

“Are we really going to do this again?” he barked a half hearted laugh, waving for Severian to get it over with already,” Go on, get it out of your system. Just so you know- unlike Angst Lord over there, I much rather live feeding.” the child tipped his shoulders in a shrug, “If you have a place to keep my prisoners, I wouldn’t be so inclined to nibble your arm.” 

“Come near me again, you will be at the floor of Lake Michigan with cement slippers.” Severian’s threat was met with the mad man’s giggle. 

“They tried that too, ‘yeh know.” Geo bantered, his too sharp of a smile on full display yet again. Severian’s phone began to buzz in his pocket. His five minutes were up. Lance was rightfully worried about Zen’s favorite assassin. Much to Sev’s annoyance- too many people seemed to suddenly care about him. 

“I’m fucking fine, Mom.” Severian bit into the mic before ending the call just as abruptly. 

The house was shockingly clean. Dakota seemed to have fixed everything from the earlier episode. Even the sheets on his bed had been changed. 

“I couldn’t afford to get exposed.” Dakota grumbled from behind his mask, eyeing Geovanti. “Not all of us are as… resilient to volatile situations.”

“That’s why you two vanished before the others could arrive?” Severian had the gun in his waistband. That child Geo was back to being the bantering pain in the ass teenager. 

“If Alpha had done something to your… associates? you would have taken it out on me.” Dakota had a point. Someone would have had to die- and between the two, there was only one choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> going to bed now- g'night.
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosity!  
> The comments are still open for raging


	77. Garrett : 4 : Howard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, remember Severian borrowing Sky's coat forever ago? Here's his pov of it.
> 
>  
> 
> Guess who's working a double ~

“You up for another movie night?” The text blinked up at the lounging assassin. He was suppose to return to serving tomorrow: now Lance was prompting for him to pay another visit to Piggy. 

“I could do something short, you sure you don’t want me to bring the pizza?” Sev was getting blue balls from this recent assignment. Just visits were serving a purpose- but Severian had so much pent up anxiety that he just wanted to kill something already. Geovanti didn’t count: he doesn’t stay dead. Defeats the whole idea.

“Just a movie.” Lance responded, okay, fine. Severian could behave one more time.

“I’m starvin’ over here.” Severian typed back before motivating himself to stand. At least he could get into a decent outfit this time- he almost ripped his work clothes trying to climb into that godforsaken window. 

____________________

Piggy had someone in his bedroom, again. Except this time the politician was sitting in his living room. Sitting is too civil of a word… Drunk out of his fucking mind, head back, mouth agape, happened to be propped like some kind of half brained human in a chair. A pose that… resembles sitting… in some fashion or another. Perhaps the other was his boyfriend, Severian could hear him crying- so he was awake, but behind the closed door of the assumed master bedroom. Did they have a fight? Was the drunken sausage being a part time gentleman by letting his love have the bed while he wallows out here with his buddies…. Jack Daniels and Jose Cuervo. 

Severian was studying the practically empty bottles of booze that were atop the liquor cabinet. One kind’a like the one Zen has actually. Except with significantly less class and a staggering number of empty fifths. The meddler was almost at a loss of what he should mess with this time. Honestly, being found like this should be enough to push him over an edge. It was super easy to snap a picture now of the passed out pig, but now there was a second- already distressed- piece of this puzzle. 

If Sev snaps a picture and sets it as his phone screen- it isn’t far fetched to think that the crying resident had done it out of spite. Which may or may not spur the drunken asshole into beating him for something Severian would know too well he didn’t do. 

He could remove all the liquor. The thought bounced around in his mind for a moment, no… similar risks as the photo. It’s so much easier to fuck with someone when they’re alone. If the two hadn’t had a fight- there would be so many more options. 

If the other was sleeping, perhaps he would be able to think a little clearer. Well… the place was still a mess. So fucking with the pig’s phone was still probably the best bet. 

He could change all the contacts around. Clear the messages then flip some of the important seeming names around a little. Weeping willow in the other room didn’t seem to be going anywhere, and Mr Stewed Pork Chop over here wasn’t going to return to the world of the living anytime soon. He had some time to fiddle around a little. Unless something better comes to mind.

After all- Severian’s only supposed to screw up his credibility. Someone sneaking into his well guarded house in the middle of the night just to mess with is phone? Why would anyone do that? Severian noted with a smirk that the password to Piggy’s phone had changed.

____________________

Severian was just walking up to his car when his phone began to light up. Text messages from a pretty sizable group chat were pouring in. Aden seemed to be the ringleader of this chaos. 

At first he thought of it as just another party the twins were trying to organize, until he actually read what was going on. Some Skylar kid was apparently in danger. They’ve already tried getting the police involved but they didn’t find anything to proceed with. 

On top of everything, the target has already assaulted Reyne. That was a name that Severian recognized. Both for its coffee and its oddball sense of humor that shows every time it gets a few drinks in. The night was still young- Severian figured he could go out on another errand. 

“Put a warning out on a Zyane Howard,” Lance sounded half amused at the command, but he owed Severian a couple favors. Lance quickly became background noise as Severian was digging in his backseat. Literally- the back seat of his car lifted up to reveal a sizable storage unit. Most of which could easily get him arrested for just possessing. He only had four tranquilizers left, he needs to let Zen know that. Sometimes the sleeper hold just doesn’t work. Tools of the trade- what else did people expect? 

____________________

Sev parked his car in a garage closer to the coffee shop than he was use to doing. This wasn’t an assignment that he needed to stay hidden for. This was actually for people that called him friend… that was a weird thought. 

Severian was studying the green mo-hawked picture Lance had sent him. Along with a photo of Skylar. That Sky kid didn’t look too good even in the “Before” picture. It probably looked like utter shit now. Sev proceeded to delete all the information that was sent to him as he committed it to memory. His luck- someone would grab his phone in an emergency, and have a couple hundred questions as soon as they saw the conversation.

____________________

Four hours into wandering, Severian got the mass text that Sky had been found. He had half a mind to cancel the warning- but it would be nice to get rewarded for his efforts. Judging by this whole ordeal- no one would really cry over the parrot’s disappearance. 

Everyone was back in the coffee shop by the time he managed to travel back. His quads were going to be made of steel after this week- forget skipping leg day- his arms were going to look like fucking noodles. 

No, not “fucking noodles.” Sev scowled at the image of dildo shaped pasta he had just cursed himself with. No, not noodles that are actively fucking either- you know… the raging breed of wimpy bastard noodles. Why was his brain not letting go of those two words!? 

The coffee shop was closed, except for the door being unlocked and a sizable group from the search party being collected into the front sitting area. The assignment of the hour wasn’t hard to pick out. He was a freaking wreck. Honestly, it looked like it was ready to be delivered to Zen. This was a kid that was loved by the ones that called Severian friend. By extension- Severian was responsible for protecting the kid.

That’s how things worked right? Zen cared about Severian- by extension, everything Severian ever shown care for was under the protection of Zen. She even went as far as to have his current house custom built for him so that he could continue with his… hobbies? Yeah, let’s call them hobbies for now. 

Being expected to comfort someone was like trying to teach Severian trigonometry in a foreign language. The twins were kissing the kid’s knuckles… was that the normal expectation? 

Out of a morbid curiosity, Severian edged closer to Sky. His blue eyes were underlined with dark circles, when was the last time the thing slept? 

“This is Severian, he was helping us try to find you.” Reyne whispered to the trembling skeleton on it’s lap. Sky looked over the violet assassin. A small smile tugged at the corner of its bruised mouth. 

“Your eyes are beautiful.” Sky’s voice was soft. Despite being as beaten as it was, it wanted to compliment the beauty around it. Severian’s throat dried instantly, his attempt to take the shivering man’s wrist frozen in place. 

“My eyes?” Sev barely got the words out, he was proud of his eyes- he was a proud man over all. Why did such a tiny creature stun him with something he already knew? Now that he thinks of it- when was the last time he had been complimented on something other than a job well done? He was only ever noticed when there was blood on his hands. 

Sev pulled the limp hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to one of Sky’s knuckles. The kid flinched, causing Sev to tighten his grip out of habit… too tight. Something triggered in the kid- he was falling back into a panic attack. Severian’s seen enough of those to know the signs.

“You need to breathe.” Sev managed to keep annoyance out of his voice. That was shockingly easy to do. Something about him had soften a piece of Severian’s heart. He was telling himself he was only protective of the disintegrating kid because he was friends with the twins. That had to have been it. So Sev does think of Aden and Aida as friends then? 

Relations were complicated- this is why Severain would rather just hate everyone: simple and clean cut.

An early winter storm had kicked up, sleet was assaulting the outside. Thank god he had parked inside the garage today. He didn’t feel like trying to pry his doors open to get to the ice scraper. That was always a pain. 

Green. Deflated and demonic at this point, but a green headed six foot something was standing across the street. Severian could feel the gaze burning into the shop. Unchecked windows surrounded them, open for the shadow to observe to his heart’s desire. 

Would Zyane really be that stupid? 

Severian looked over the room’s occupancy once more, carefully crafting a lie in his head. Sky was buried under multiple coats- one of which was Severian’s. Someone must have grabbed it when he started going into that panic. 

The group was moving into the back of the shop at least. There was a couch in the break room, one that Sky could lay down on. He really was a sweet kid. What ever had happen to him, even Severian could admit he didn’t deserve. Severian’s never seen this side of humans before. He was starting to wonder what Zen actually did with the toys he dropped off.

Clearly Zyane didn’t know when to quit. If he was willing to stalk Severian’s new interest while he was surrounded by multiple very capable men; who’s to say he won’t jump at the first chance of severely harming Skylar.

Would he be foolish enough to try to attack someone he thinks can be Skylar? Sev was taller than the kid, but he could practically fit in the oversized coat that he was found in, probably belongs to Zyane. 

“Where are you going?” the larger Grey raised a brow at Severian. The assassin found himself grasping at straws for an excuse.

“I left my windows down.” Sev swallowed, hoping no one saw him walking out of the garage. “Besides, if he can wear mine- I get to wear his.” They snorted back and forth between each other- each one only re-enforcing Severian’s story. Hopefully Zyane will be just as stupid.

Sev slipped out the back door, the hood of the coat covering his face effectively. He was hunched over, making himself as small as he could. With any luck, Zyane will be deranged, rash enough, to just jump to conclusions. Hopefully he does something very inane.

A firm hand clasped around the back of Severian’s neck, a dark command came from a feral throat. Zyane- it had to be. Sev didn’t bother checking over his shoulder. A tranquilizer was in his grasp, hidden in his pocket. Before the green assailant knew he had made a terrible mistake- Severian plunged the syringe into that muscled neck. Zyane’s eyes bulged as he took in Severian’s face. 

Barely fifteen seconds after the administration, Zyane’s body began to fall out of his control. The greatest part of the city- at least this part of it- there were plenty of bars. Zyane would just be a drunken buddy. Severian’s the good guy trying to get his plastered idiot home. Zyane can sleep in the trunk for a while- not like he’ll be able to break out of the reinforced containment. As long as Sev doesn’t get pulled over: no one would be the wiser. 

With his target safely stashed in his car, Severian cracked his back and took inventory of himself. Wait, blood? Was that fucking ass hole bleeding? How in the seven hells is he suppose to shrug off a blood soaked sleeve when he’s just going out to “roll up his windows”? It’s not like he can just switch out jackets, this thing doesn’t even belong to him! 

Okay, okay. Think Sevie. It’s icing outside. Slippery. He fell? Co-workers knew that he never really fell. He rarely ever dropped anything- compared to the klutzy children he was working with. With this much blood soaking into the sleeve- they’ll be asking where he was hurt. Sky would probably be looking up at him with those wide blue lakes. 

Fall on purpose? He shouldn’t be risking breaking a limb to cover something. Hell, he was returning to friends wearing the blood of their enemies. What is this: medieval times? Pretty sure this flirting tactic hasn’t worked for a couple hundred years. 

Noses bleed… noses bleed a lot. Was he really considering punching himself in the face? Yeah… okay. Don’t think too hard on it…

 

Three… two… one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm regretting killing Seth so early on. He was literally the main dude that contains Severian. I'm not aborting mission and finding some black voodoo magic way of bringing him back- but Sevie's going to be having a hard time in the future without him. I guess I learned something with this little experiment.
> 
> Thank you for putting up with my madness anyway!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments- it's the only way I know if what I'm trying to do is translating.


	78. Garrett : 5 : Shift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Instead of complaining, I'm going to actually try working on my stories now.
> 
> Anyway, Hopefully you amazing Ninjas are having a good day.
> 
> (I keep getting comments from bingers. I don't know how you guys do it. Go my ninja dudes, go.)

“The fuck happened to you?” Aden shrieked, everyone in the room turned towards Severian. He had the bloodied sleeve held up against his nose. Perhaps he had hit himself a touch harder than he intended, a headache was starting to bloom.

“Had a little fight with gravity.” Sev chuckled darkly, that iron taste of blood souring on his tongue. Skylar forced himself up from between his bodyguards. Brilliant blue eyes fidgeted on Sev’s face. The smaller one’s fingers balled up the closest fabric he could reach- pressing it up against Sev’s bleeding.

“He did this, didn’t he?” Sky’s voice was haunted, Severian could feel the quakes though his touch.

“No, Howard will never be a problem again.” the promise was natural. Being studied by Sky’s gentle presence made the self inflicted nosebleed totally worth it. 

“Are you sure? I don’t want you guys in danger because of me.” Sky was so innocent it was almost painful to watch. 

“I promise.” Sev purred, sniffing his head clear, if only Sky knew the kind of defenders he had. 

____________________

Closer to five in the morning than he was wanting it to be- Severian finally was pulled into his driveway. Green giant in the trunk had woken up. Severian really didn’t want to deal with him: but he was the type to forget about the hostage in the morning. Twice so far- someone was drugged up in the car while Severian was bouncing around the Rowlkin.

Zyane was very different than some random dude, however. 

“Zyane R. Howard has been apprehended, cancel the watch.” Sev reported to Emmett’s voicemail. Half wondering if the thing was even still in affect. Those things only lasted a couple hours normally. Considering Lance was a part of the police force- maybe it held a bit better. Either way- multiple crisis averted. 

He rounded the car, clicking the trunk open. As expected, Severian was greeted by a rage fueled tackle. Except the cliche move was very anticipated: so Zyane found himself with a face full of gravel and ice as he missed terribly and just successfully nose dived into the cracked pavement. He earned a giggle out of the assassin at least. 

Zyane’s hands were duct taped behind his back. His mile long legs were tied at the thighs- not stopping him from walking completely, just making it as awkward as humanly possible. Severian was lucky to clear this guy’s clavicle- there was no way he would be able to catch him in a full blown sprint. Overpowering him was even a sketchy prospect. 

“Geovanti.” Sev barked, landing a hard kick to the side of Zyane’s knee. The tower collapsed in the foyer with a snarl. His mouth hasn’t shut up since his swan dive. 

“You do love me!” Geo sang, his frizzy hair preceding him as he appeared from behind the couch. The hell is he doing back there? Dakota walked towards the noise from down the side hallway, his nails working the gear on his mask. Was he just eating?

“You’re responsible for keeping it alive for as long as possible. I will not be replacing it.” Severian’s voice hardened, although the kid didn’t look like he was exactly listening. The smile he held borderlined a wolf’s hunt more than it needed. 

“It’s goin’ in the cellar. If it gets out- especially if it gets out of the house, you need to kill it immediately. I can not stress enough that it is to never escape from here.” Severian hissed the last few words, Geo was humming happily as he was pulling Zyane’s head this way and that by his hair. 

“I knew you loved me, somewhere in that coal heart of yours is a warm spot for me, isn’t there?” Geo lunged at Sev, wrapping a very non-consensual hug around the utterly uncomfortable assassin.

____________________

Work was more of the same, Zen had grown offly quiet about Piggy. It’s only been five or so days. Six maybe? It’s whatever- the days were blending together more and more the older he got. 

Despite having the day off, Severian found himself in that coffee shop he had met Skylar in. Sky was trying to learn how to make drinks, aspiring to start working on the weekends or something with the other two. He has zero work experience, anything would help him at this point. 

Severian, Aida, and Aden each had four miniature drinks surrounding them: some of them decent, others never to be touched again. Grey was busy taking actual customers while Reyne was tucked in the far corner with the painfully nervous kid. He turned around, carrying three paper mugs precariously with a nervous smile. 

“Wait, the topping!” Reyne called after, pointing at the canister that happened to be sitting innocently by Grey. Sky hummed his understanding, nearly tipping one of the short cups on the table the guys were gathered at. 

“Sorry, sorry. It’s hot… careful.” he fidgeted with is hands, looking utterly lost as he felt the full weight of the patient eyes bemused by him. Grey whistled as he held the whipped cream in an outstretched arm, raising a brow on whether or not Sky knew how to use it.

He didn’t. Sky yelped his surprise, quickly freezing in place as if afraid to break something else. The can popped in his hold. White fluff flew everywhere, the metal cap ticked somewhere on the other side of the tables. 

“You good?” Grey was the first to speak. Reyne hid his wide smile behind his hands as he tried to mute his giggle. Skylar nodded stiffly, braving to raise his head. One of his eyes were squeezed shut, white foam running diagonally across blushing cheeks. The twins promptly melted at the sight. Their voices melded together as they tried to offer to help clean Sky up. A bout of giggles was keeping sentences from actually forming.

“Too bad Felon isn’t here.” Sky smiled wryly. The twins seemed confused by that. Reyne’s smile melted away.

“Fel really loved whipped cream, he would’a loved to help.” Sky chuckled dryly.

“Felon?” Sev questioned, he wasn’t too polished on emotional cues- but that was laced with enough darkness for even him to notice. 

“Zyane’s dog.” Reyne supplied in a curt voice. Sky excused himself to go finish washing up. Severian flinched hard. 

Zyane had a dog?! Not only did he have a dog, Skylar seemed to be attached to the said beast. It hasn’t been too long. He’s got to be okay. Severian pulled out his phone, texting out his emergency signal, “CM.” 

Call me. 

Within two minutes, his phone began ringing. 

“Yeah, Jess?” Sev spoke just loud enough for the acquaintances around him to hear, “Don’t tell me you took that car out again. Where are you?” He stood rolling his eyes. The man on the other end was completely silent- Severian having a full on one sided conversation as he conjured up his escape.

“Okay, just… NO. No, don’t touch anything- I’ll be right there.” Sev chuckled dryly, holding the phone away as he excused himself.

“Tell Skylar good luck.” He tailed on, for no good reason whatsoever.

____________________

“I need Zyane R. Howard’s address.” Sev was nearly running to his car. 

“Are you okay?” Emmett had an odd quirk in his voice. One Severian couldn’t quite place. 

“I’m fine, Zyane has a dog- Sky likes the pooch.” Sev slowed his pace when he realized he couldn’t remember what level he had parked on. 

“Sky?” Em still sounded strange.

“Just give me the fucking address!” Sev snapped. His mind was reeling- what was he going to do with a dog? It’s not like he can just show up with Felon at the coffee shop. 

(Hey! Look who I have, ignore the fact that Zyane has vaporized off of the face of the Earth. Long story short- you have your ex-fuckwad’s pet now.)

There was no way he was bringing Felon back to his house. He didn’t know if the two python bastards would attack an animal, but he didn’t want to risk it. 

“Is Zen still looking for a pet?” Sev thought aloud. “Just a temporary thing until I figure something out.”

“Who are you and what the actual fuck have you done with Severian?” Em half chuckled, finally relinquishing the bastard’s information. “And Zen says she can dog sit for a little, if you really need her to.”

Yes, that will work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosities!
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments, it's why they're there after all.


	79. Garrett : 6 : Ready

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not even kidding- every time I write a chapter with this dog in it, my dogs get sprayed by a skunk. So if Felon disappears, I know nothin'
> 
> now that I'm done ranting, I'm gonna put a heads up for tomorrow's chapter. yup. one of those.

Severian shouldn’t be surprised by the neighborhood that Zyane was living in. He could half understand his paranoia of someone coming to attack Skylar. Sky was innocent- the surrounding tenants were not. He was greeted at the door by a howl. If Felon still had the strength to be an alarm- chances are he was fine. The dog bashing itself into the door made picking the lock a lot more complicated than it needed to be, however. 

Severian finally got the apartment open. The giant white head of the pit bull wedged in the opening, abruptly changing to a snarl at the sight of the visitor. Sev scoffed at the greeting, granted- the dog had a good judge of character.

“I’m here to save you, you grumpy lump.” He slipped into the ransacked apartment. Well… he expected it to look like a bachelor pad, but there was paper littered all over the floor. The scarce, abandoned furniture was clawed at and chewed. Piles of dog shit were lined as close to the front door as possible, piss was in less obvious of places. Felon was left alone for almost a week. This could have been worse.

A bag of dog food was very empty but also very shredded on the kitchen floor. His food and water dishes were overturned, probably by the super frustrated dog. Sev had brought a couple cans of wet dog food, because somewhere in his history he’s seen at least one commercial of dogs eating this mystery meat slop. Felon seemed to soften his opinion of Severian once Sev put the food down for him. 

Felon was eating eagerly as Sev lifted the other bowl, moving to the sink to get the pooch something to drink. Felon was a pretty boy- there was a real chance he wouldn’t get the dog back from Zen. She had a soft spot for the “misunderstood breed.” Sev would be able to retire twice over if he had a penny for every time he heard Zen call the fighters “Nanny dogs.” Maybe that’s what they started off as, then human cruelty kicked in.

Cruelty always fucking kicks in, doesn’t it?

____________________

Severian walked with the beast into Zen’s office. She was plain as cardboard. Her fingers were loosely threaded in that toy’s hair as he slept with his head on her lap. He almost barked a remark, but she held up a finger to keep her assassin silent.

“Lance is going to take you now.” her voice was soft for the kid. It didn’t look as thin as when it was dropped off. It looked cleaner, better rested, over all cared for. Lance carefully blocked the kid’s sight of Severian as he knelt to lift the toy. The two promptly glided out of the room.

“So this is Felon?” She turned to attention back to the white dog, a smile tugging on the one side of her mouth. 

“I don’t have a clue how house broken, or how social it is, but Skylar is fond of it.” Sev reported, closing the distance carefully. If the thing snapped at his Queen, Skylar be damned- Felon wasn’t leaving this room alive.

“I just need some time before I can set up something believable.” the tension in his shoulders eased when the dog placidly sniffed at Zen’s fingers. So, he was just sketchy on Sev. 

“Skylar?” Zen tipped her head, her now brown eyes burrowing into her oddly behaving sociopath. 

“Super sweet kid. He’s like… twenty something. Black hair, blue lakes.” Sev defaulted to his usual reporting… did he say lakes instead of eyes?

“Are you going cougar on me?” Zen seemed to be enjoying herself.

“Hey, thirty eight isn’t that old!” Sev flustered quickly. A scowl etching unnatural lines at the corners of his nose. “And, no. I don’t like him.” 

“But you abducted his abuser, actively trying to reunite him with the said abuser’s dog, and not to mention you were being social on a day off.” Zen’s words only caused him to raise his defenses that much more. He wasn’t the type for dating. Skylar just… 

Severian liked to think that the ones he toyed with were some kind of evil, everyone he was sent to assassinate- the world would be a better place without. He doesn’t really like to ask the question of morals, he just goes. 

There’s good in evil, and there is evil in good. No one is perfect, but no one was so utterly rotten. All are the same, mingling in the grey area. 

“Sky hasn’t lived long enough to become a villain.” Sev spoke decisively. 

“Seth always said you were still in there somewhere.” Zen hummed, “I can’t tell you how many times I doubted him.” 

“He romanticized everything far too much.” Sev bit faster and harder than he realized. He wasn’t sorry, even if it was at his Queen. 

“You aren’t as bad of a guy as you make yourself believe.” Zen shrugged, either oblivious or ignoring the precariousness in her assassin.

“So about your current assignment.” Zen patted on the couch, the dog leaping up to join her.

“Piggy?” Sev earned another half smile and a nod.

“I need you to get rid of him tonight- he’s making a run for another country. He makes it across the border, his intent isn’t as well contained as it was here.” she actually looked nervous. 

“What of his boyfriend?” Sev crossed his legs, collateral damage? Could he really kill one lover in one room, and leave the other to find him? That sounded harsh, even for him. 

“He doesn’t have a boyfriend.” Zen warned, “If you leave the guy there, he will be killed by Stan’s men. That’s if he isn’t already dead by the time you get there.”

“Almost sounds like you want me to save it?” a rescue mission? That’s never happened before. 

“Given the choice between making it look like an accident and getting that man out alive. I don’t care how you kill Stan.” She took a steadying breath, reading the utter confusion off of her assassin’s face. She figured she would have to explain herself a little more. 

“I have connections for places I can send him. Places I can guarantee they will be safe. They’ll actually help him recover and live a half normal life.” Zen pointed at the door Lance had disappeared through, “It’s the only reason he’s still here, actually. In light of the recent events- I was hoping to send them both together.”

“The hell kind of place takes things like that?!” Severian was still trying to grasp what he saw in the coffee shop when he first met Sky. Now he’s being told that there were full organizations built to undo what he does to toys... What?

“There’s a lot of war in the world.” Zen sighed, reading something off of Severian even he himself couldn’t pick up. “Thousands of people are victims, many times victims become monsters if they’re left alone.”

____________________

His purple hilted knives nested in their white sheaths at his thighs, his eyes masked with solid black sclera lenses. Purple eyes were so rare- that little bit of knowledge would all but nail his coffin. In the worst case scenarios, he could always shave his hair: he can’t exactly gouge out his irises.

Severian sat hunched on his bed, knees bouncing unchecked. His fingernails cut into his scalp as he stared into the wooden floorboards of his bedroom. Fifteen guards, same general positions every night. No one of serious concern in the apartment with the target. 

Kill the target.  
Extract the kid.

How is he going to get a untrained, probably scared shitless, stranger out of an apartment, where the best way of leaving is climbing a wall? The longer he takes to figure it out- the slimmer the chance the hostage will be alive when he gets there. Zen wants the kid alive. 

Then there’s the other side of the time crunch: Piggy was probably packing his bags and getting ready to board a plane to god-knows-where at this moment. 

Okay, say Sev does get the mystery dude off the premise and into the city. Will he be clothed? Is he going to be able to walk? How inconspicuous is he really going to be? Any self respecting officer is going to be interrogating them at first sight.

Park closer? The one glaring problem with that is anyone could pick up his plate number. Put him in the place at the time and too many connections muddy up the entire thing.

Hot wire a car? It won’t lead directly back to him if they were to search the plates. Sure, it’d give some random dude a bad day- but comparatively he would be having the best side of Severian for the night. Does hot-wiring cancel out if Sev returns it when he’s done? 

Because they totally aren’t going to comb over the thing with a fine toothed comb to check for any form of evidence. Sev might have faith in his own ability- but there was Randy the Rando to be worried about this time. No one wants to find Rando Juice in the back seat of their car. 

Call in reinforcements? Sounds good, except for when he started trying to figure out who he would trust enough as a reinforcement. Lance worked in the police force- there was a solid chance they would want him to investigate the scene once Severian was done. He couldn’t keep him from showing up. That would look too suspicious. 

Garrett was a good driver. He’s a skinny runt that can barely hold his own, but he was smart, and his observational skills were scary sharp. 

Time’s up, he needs to move, now. As it is- he might still be too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow's chapter is going to have trigger warning coming out the ear holes. 
> 
> murder (kind'a duh on that one), flash backs, general confusion, abuse, also (personally) pretty intense implications of repressed memories. 
> 
> more or less I'm most concerned about the last one- that is a thing that can really screw up a person. it may also last for a few chapters? haven't put everything in text yet so I'm not 100 on how long the warnings are going to last. keep eyes on the notes for further updates.
> 
> thank you for your curiosities?  
> feel free to rage in the comments~


	80. Garrett : 7 : Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Currently praying that I'm not over hyping this: but I'm hoping I was able to convey what I was going for.
> 
> so yeah, warnings. 
> 
> implied/implications of Repressed memories, implied/very obvious abuse, murder (duh), over all confusion and some lost time.

Severian checked into a motel room just outside of the city- this is where his car was going to be parked overnight. Whether or not he’ll actually step foot into the room he just paid almost a hundred dollars for has yet to be seen. He was just thankful enough to remember to take out his contacts before stepping into the main office. They were easy enough to slip back in- but he would have stuck out a lot more if the half drunk receptionist thought that a demon just walked in. Garrett pulled around back of the rotten egg and knock off freshener scented hotel. His car looked like it had seen so many better days. 

“Is it going to make it to the fuckin’ city?” Sev growled as he could feel his clothes sticking to the very questionable leather seats. 

“She runs like a top- due to be crushed in the morning.” Garrett winked. The transition sounded like it had different plans. Mostly ones that consist of dying in the middle of traffic. This is precisely why Severian doesn’t trust anyone.

“And when she’s not?” Sev started counting his fingers. He’s had a nightmare like this before. The dream didn’t end fucking well. 

“Emmett.” Garrett chirped as if that held all of the answers in the world.

“What, is he gonna’ Uber us or something?” Should have done this alone. Taken the risks at face value instead of being a “team player” like everyone’s always on his ass about. Now he’s actively watching his life and Zen’s goals go straight to hell as Garrett was “handling” the walking lemon of a car. 

“You got this thing out of a junkyard didn’t you?” Severian feared the answer.

“What you think is the car dying is me failing at stick shift.” Garrett rolled his eyes, “Give me all of ten minutes and it’ll come back.” How long has he had this thing?

“You have five before I’m barrel rolling out this window.” If Garret thought Sev was kidding, he was going to have the rudest of awakenings. 

____________________

Garrett was lurking not too far from the apartment, just outside the gated community. Sev just had to get the kid out that far. 

Getting into the apartment was just as easy as any other time. Most of the guards were out in front of the house actually- semi circling the dark SUV. Piggy was on the phone with someone, sounding every drop as disgruntled as a toddler in the supermarket. 

“I paid good money- overpaid actually- for the thing. I don’t care what you say. He’ll be dead by the fucking time you get here.” Stan was pacing in the hallway, causing Severian to duck into a thankfully empty, albeit dusty as hell, kitchen cabinet. Apparently Piggy only had enough time for liquor. 

“Unless you can resuscitate someone that choked on their own vomit, don’t even bother trying to change my mind. He can identify me- and that’s a risk I can not take.”... “You know very well what happens to you if you try blackmailing me, you piece of shit. It’s thanks to me you have a business at fucking all!” The lumbering man was not light on his feet. Every uneven step vibrated the room. Easy to track at least.

“What the fuck do you mean ‘enjoy the visitor’?” He snarled louder than ever. Severian’s blood ran cold. Who was he talking to? How did they know he was there? Did they know? Maybe they were just mocking him for being so tightly wound. What if he was talking to Zen… She was very clear on wanting the other man alive. 

Breathe Sevie. Step one: kill the target. 

“Bitch answer me!” his voice roared, something crashed against the farthest wall. His phone maybe?... probably. 

Piggy marched to the back of the apartment, his voice was still reverberating- Severian could no longer pick out the words, however. He took it as a chance to slink out of his hiding. His beloved knife was held in a vice of white knuckles. 

The apartment suddenly felt too open for the assassin. It wasn’t that enough was missing from the house to make a dent in the filth the pig had built up around himself. This was the first time Sev’s been here with the target actively roaming around. Not enough places to logically hide- he could only be in the closets for so long before the target just leaves for his flight. 

Gagging earned Severian’s attention as he edged the side of the bedroom’s agape door. A hard smack of flesh choked off all sound in exchange for a moment of supercharged silence. 

This doesn’t have to be disguised as anything but an assassination.

Severian burst into the room. Bed in the center on the opposite wall, a low dresser with a over-sized mirror, closet door, Stan, the hostage. Severian couldn’t help the ice from forming over his veins, his air suddenly tasted like lead. He blocked the image of the kid from his mind, slipping into something more familiar, something numb, something… comfortable. 

He took a solid hold of the pig’s thinning hair, holding the knife to his throat. Without much thought, he felt the flesh give under the blade. Smooth, effortless: the ice in his blood melted as if someone just told him everything was going to be okay. His queen would be happy with him.

He would return to her with the blood of her enemy on his hands. Should he bring her the pig’s head? He’s already halfway done with removing the ugly thing. No… Hunters only take the heads of the beautiful. Deer, Elk, Bear, Wolf: not pigs. Not monsters wearing human skin. Stan’s body fell to the carpet with a wet thump. His blood was already soaking the fibers to a dark ruby stain. That iron pang swirled in the space- filling Severian’s lungs like a good tobacco.

“Either you do it to them, or they do it to you.” Sev couldn’t place where he had heard that before. His teeth ground together as he tried to contain the sudden bubble of rage that crashed into him like a freight. He still couldn’t look at the kid on the floor. That gurgling sound was still in the air. Which one was making that noise? Was Stan still struggling for air as blood filled his lungs? Had Severian gotten hurt? There was enough adrenaline in his system- he could very well be missing a chunk of flesh and not even notice. 

Right, he’s suppose to keep that kid alive… Would he say… it was dead when he arrived? It wasn’t dead. It would soon be. But Zen wanted... 

Ice spiked up his spine violently, spurring him to rush to the struggling man’s side. He was biting against a ball gag, spit and vomit barely able to escape from the strained corners of his mouth. 

White pills were in the mess as Severian let that demonic thing fall to the floor. Too many pills. Overdose. That’s what’s causing him to puke- his body was rejecting it, trying to live. Killing itself in the process. 

Severian hardened himself as he forced his fingers to the back of the man’s throat. Whatever it was given, he needed to get it out. Stay alive for his queen. She was very forgiving- this thing was going to need a lot of forgiveness.

“Thank you, Master.” it’s voice was hoarse, barely a ghost of a whisper between ragged coughs. The softest words still clawed at a festered old wound somewhere in the back of the assassin’s mind. One Severian doesn’t quite remember having- but it was there, wreathing under the dying one’s gratitude. 

It had been a while since Severian had lost time. He use to lose time often; normally while driving, cooking, or perhaps training a toy. That vaguely familiar fog rolled over him. Severian fought to stay in the room. He focused on counting his fingers, roving his sight to identify every piece of filthy furniture that surrounded him. 

Now’s not the time for this shit, Sevie. Pull your head out of your ass. Either you do it to them, or they do it to you. 

Voices? Deep, confused, dark: man? Men- plural. Severian gathered his awareness all at once, his eyes focusing on the terrified hostage. Men were coming. Knocking on the doorway... They weren’t in the apartment yet, but they were starting to ask questions.

“You’re coming with me, get up. We need to go.” Sev dug his hold into the kid’s shoulders, pulling him up. Sit him up, figure out if his hands were tied behind or in front of him.

His wrists dangled beneath him cuffed and scarred- swinging freely. He had some weight, not nearly enough. Sev found himself holding the kid in the air with a perfect view of just how legless he was. His hips followed the curve of his pelvis, dipping down to his crotch. Nothing else. 

Why did this feel familiar? 

The front door was opened, men shouted their questions into the apartment. He had to go. They had to go. 

“Hold onto me.” Sev growled, hoping the kid would stay awake enough- just long enough for the worst case scenario to level itself out. Only Pig was suppose to die, Sev could take out the other guards too. His Queen wouldn’t be pleased. He needed to keep the Queens happy. 

Queens? …Yeah, two… Zen and… fuck, He could see her ghostly- darkness kissed face. Her blind, fogged over eyes… hear that cackle. Cold dragged him back out of his thoughts. He was sliding ungracefully on the slanted roof of the balcony. An unfamiliar weight on his shoulders. Run was the only thing he knew for sure. Run, get out. 

Fuck everything and just get out. He’s been able to do it once, he can do it again… again? 

Sevie, pull your head out of your ass!

The ground approached a lot quicker than he was ready for, pain split his leg, his ankle instantly throbbing. Fucking god of… Run. Severian bolted across the yard- not even caring about the footprints he was so careful to not leave behind when he arrived. 

Shouts and voices were above him, all around him. He had to keep his head on long enough to get out of the neighborhood. Garrett was waiting for him. Garrett would take care of everything- he just had to get there. 

The wall was so much taller now that he had the extra weight and half the functioning feet. His nails barely found holds on the top of the fence, his shoes dug against the slippery wood paneling until something gave. Sev lurched himself over, whether it be by arm strength or pure luck, he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. It was easier to disappear into the neighborhood than it was to hide in a yard full of men with guns. 

____________________

“Severian.” a voice clipped. Lighter, like someone that was overly caffeinated. He’s heard that tone before… He had… just told someone he was totally going to go talk to a chick. Tell her… what?... Right his buddy liked her- kept chickening out. So he was just going to walk over and talk to her for him.

“Severian, are you okay? God man, get in the fucking car.” Garrett. He had the door open to that ugly, bastard, lemon, stick shift, thing. Sev was crouched in an alleyway, hiding behind garbage. Cold was eating away at his senses, felt like a snowstorm had made its home in his thoughts. He couldn’t quite contain the ragged breathing that was ripping his ribs apart. Had he been running? Was it just a byproduct of the testosterone and adrenaline boost his body had pumped itself full of? He barely realized he was holding onto the arms that were limply draped over his shoulders. He didn’t really know what to do with himself as Garrett helped the kid off of Severian’s back. Gar didn’t say anything about the condition of the kid. He only held him against his shoulder until Severian scooted into the backseat. 

“Keep him down, there are blankets in the front I’ll be handing to you.” Gar explained quickly, closing the door on the two. Severian found himself with the kid’s head on his lap and no clue what to do. 

Kid? He looked like he was twenty something… maybe twenty four or five if he had to guess. Sweat laden mouse brown hair, heterochromatic green and brown eyes, his nose had an unnatural twist from an old break, the obvious of no lower limbs. In the tuck of his abdomen, that sensitive little patch just over his genitals sat a brand. The mark looked familiar- like seeing an old advertisement for something he forgotten had existed. 

“KS” was within the design. Initials? Severian wasn’t allowed to dwell on it for long, fleece was shoved in his face as Garrett was trying to file into the night’s city traffic. The roads were dotted with police, many of the pedestrians would be youths, most of which drunk or high. As long as Garrett follows the rules of the road, and not continuously pop the clutch like an idiot, no one should be looking too hard at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... you guys good? 
> 
> Remember me warning in the beginning of the chapters that this should end up being a punch in the feels?...  
> guys? 
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments~
> 
>  
> 
> (swear i still love you, my ninjas)


	81. Garrett : 8 : Drill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a torture scene.so, Yeah.
> 
> I'm on chapter eight already?! ... so... cliff hanger anyone?...  
> not THIS one, but like... nine or ten being the hard limit of chapters per line. 
> 
> (also I was thinking of doing a line on Quin after this one. how does that sound as a breather? we haven't seen that bug in a long while.)

The backseat was so much smaller than he was expecting it to be. He wanted to prop his leg up, anything to ebb that shooting pain still stabbing at him with every heartbeat. The cold he had just raced through had numbed it as he went. The warmer he got, the worse it was getting. 

He could feel the blood and putrid unmentionables drying into his clothes. He just wanted a shower: perhaps also a bonfire to destroy both the stink and the fabric. Burning pine is how Severian always imagined heaven to smell like. Maybe if he was lucky- they would celebrate Christmas in hell.

The kid was covered up to his chin in that questionable fleece blanket. He was faced away from Sev, laying on his side just in case he should have another bout of nausea. Severian would admit the greatness of any choice god if it meant he wouldn’t be puked on again.

Sev was able to narrow down the cause of his sudden claustrophobia to the kid. He was technically the hero. He’s played this part before- technically. But that was literally just acting, manipulating until he could go back to the things he was comfortable with. Things he knew he would be safe doing. This time, this was his assignment: no strings, no chambers, no Seth breaking in the toys. Just Severian busting out a prisoner that probably had done nothing wrong in his life. 

It was very weird. 

____________________

The chamber felt familiar in the worst kind of way. Slime and snakes coiled in his gut, the sourness of it rotting the back of his throat. He had a clear vision of everything around him, that had to have been the worst part. Six men, twisted into demons, bantered back and forth between each other. His head felt like it wanted to explode from the migraine brought on by apprehension. His arms were bound behind his back with a vice of barbed wire. He had managed to free a fist last time- they weren’t risking that happening again. 

They were barking at him more than anything. Their voices snarling at each other with little pepperings of dark humor. Whirling cut their voices out, one of them had that greasy grin on his face while he was gawking over a drill. His gut sank, he pulled against the metallic vice despite the pain. Warmth from his own blood spread over his forearms, dripping down his back. They had him effectively bound to a splintering chair. He didn’t have nearly enough strength to even cause the joints to groan. 

Filthy, salty fingers hooked into his mouth. Pain from splitting skin was nothing compared to that ear bleeding screech of the drill, nothing until that bit dug into his front tooth. Pain shot through his skull as an endless white pulse. If he was screaming- he couldn’t hear himself. 

He jerked hard against the demons, his weight slamming into his side as he tipped to the floor. Pain seared his leg, he could only assume that was retaliation for his attempt to escape. He had a clear choice, do this exact thing to someone- or the demons would do it to him. 

He couldn’t bring himself to harm that innocent face they dragged from storage. He had already seen enough hell. The thing was already broken- why would they add to it? He was actively paying for that kind of thought process. 

A hand ripped into his hair, jerking him back upright. He thrashed, colliding with something, anything. It felt solid- maybe the floor? Hopefully he had a solid headbutt on one of the bastards. Anywhere- anything, something has to give. There was no way they were going to torture him to death, were they? 

No- they were just going to keep going until he was broken, until he got the protocol drilled into his head. Don’t ask questions, don’t even second think the orders whatever they were. Just do it. Do it right, and make the Queen happy. 

He thrashed again, that whir of the drill singing its choir in the blood soaked chapel. His foot made contact, he didn’t care with what- just it did. Weight fell onto his forearms. He tried to push them away, claws digging into the soft padding beneath them.

Crawling in the dark, he couldn’t quite get a full breath. Pain nearly paralyzed one of his legs. Soft, something thin but definitely not cracked concrete was under his palms. His eyes hurt, swollen nearly shut. His vision was blurry at best, too painful to keep them open for too long. 

A wall was at his side, smooth and solid. The flooring was worn thin, torn in some places, but a carpet. Not in the cellar. Not in that devil chapel. 

Severian blinked to try to clear his sight- it barely worked, but he could make out what looked like a side of a bed. The blankets were messed; someone was on it. Darkness… darkness not captive, it was night time. A couch squatted a few feet from where he was crumpled, someone was there too. 

“Sevie?” a sleepy voice questioned the room. That came from the couch. The person on the couch knew him, sounded like that person knew him well too.

“Sev, you up? You good?” a dark skinned man pushed himself up, Sev could feel those eyes flickering over himself. 

“If you’re wondering ‘bout your knives, I put ‘em up.” the man yawned, moving his sight over to whoever was on the bed. “You weren’t really yourself, so I figured better safe than a rogue skilled assassin not recognizing me.”

Garrett, Sev was finally able to put a name to the guy. They had to be in that hotel. Smells like the place, at least. 

“You wouldn’t let me see your leg, nor were you cooperative enough to get those lenses out.” Gar snorted to himself in a hushed tone, “Come on.” Severian really didn’t have a choice other than to take the hand that was offered to him. 

Light hurt, but Garrett needed it to see. He sat Sev on a closed toilet pressing the lense case into Severian’s palms. 

“First off, get those out.” Gar had a quirk on his lip, one of disgust? Maybe it was sympathy? Sev nodded obediently, not exactly looking forward to forcing his eyelids open and groping around his scleras. 

If it was possible, his eyes hurt worse now that the contacts were gone. Light hurt more, cool air felt like pepper spray. 

“Here.” Gar prompted, taking the lense case and replacing it with a soaked rag of hot water. Severian was beyond grateful as he pressed his palms against his sockets, that prickly, warm, heavenly fabric wedged against his face. 

“I’m gonna check out your leg while you do that, okay?” Gar was warning as much as he was asking permission. 

____________________

Lance sprinted over to the three as they were limping out of the car. He took the kid into his arms immediately, the abused face was almost completely concealed under Lance’s loose hanging dreadlocks. His voice was low and soft, almost cooing to the trembling kid. 

Zen’s presence had surprised Severian. He looked over his disheveled self to try to straighten out the soiled clothes he was forced to continue to wear from yesterday. His eyes were still swollen, but he could see easier now. Tired circles underlined his makeup smeared sockets. Never would he stand before his Queen looking so much like a stray, mangy mutt. 

A soft sound that might have been a whimper escaped her throat as she took in the sight of her assassin. Her head tilted in an almost adoration as she held out her arms for him.

“Come here,” Her normally smooth voice was more like a bell than ever. She covered the distance quickly, encasing Severian in an embrace. He shook in her hold: shame coupled with myriads of questions was threatening to rip his chest in half. 

“Looks like you didn’t get any sleep,” She pulled back just enough to fix his hair, he still refused to meet her gaze.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize how much this was going to affect you- I should never have sent you.” her words shocked Severian. His breaths stuttered as the world seemed to fall away until the only thing was left was Zen. 

“You did good, you went overboard, but you got it done. And, you made it back to us.” her praise was soft, gentle. Almost as light as the touch she was ghosting over his neck and shoulders. “I know you’re hurting, come on, we have a room ready for you.” 

____________________

The room was clean, pristine even. Severian felt more at ease in this kind of surrounding. The full sized bed was tucked tautly in the corners, the clean covers still smelt of the drier. Just off of the room was a shower, thankfully. Clean clothes were folded on the sink’s ledge: comfortable- very over sized- sweatpants and a tank top that probably came from Lance. Zen had encouraged him to get settled. Calm down and get his head back on straight. She would give him some time before she would send in the doctor to check him over. 

Severian had a visit with the doc after almost every mission. That would be nothing unusual. This time, he was actually hurt. Fire smoldered in his ankle. Each and every step was agony. He hasn’t had the stomach to look at it himself- but he didn’t need to check for him to know it was ugly. 

Even when he peeled those god forsaken articles off of his fetid, stained flesh. He almost felt bad to soil the floor with the clothes, half of his mind wanted to drop the fabric into the toilet... It seemed fitting.

Why not? The things are going to be destroyed anyway. 

That nightmare still lurked in his mind like a memory. It was making him jumpy, forcing him to rely on the ones around him in a blind faith because he just couldn’t keep himself cognizant. Garrett had gotten him into the hotel room. Then later brought him to the safe house on the other side of the city’s outskirts. 

Zen’s vacation house: for lack of better terms.

The detailed mirror mocked him when he caught himself spacing out again. Severian looked like shit, nowhere near that vibrant persona he always painted up to be. With a stomach full of sick eels, he smiled to show his teeth. 

Pearls looked back at him, perfect, intact, a complete straight set of chompers. It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare. 

____________________

“Take.” the dark voice commanded before even starting the exam. Severian studied the oval, white, underwhelmingly nondescript pills that Direson was offering. 

“For the pain, Don’t say you don’t need ‘em.” He read the assassin’s thoughts as fluidly as he always did. “Yes, they’ll make you drowsy. No, I won’t let Zen see you while you’re high.” 

Sev snorted. How was he supposed to argue with a guy that didn’t only not let him talk- but actively countered everything before he said it? The pain was bad though, even if he wasn’t reassured by the stoic, trustworthy beast, he would have taken the medication. 

Severian was coaxed to lie back on the bed while the opioids worked their way into his system. It didn’t take much to convince him, for one he was exhausted. For another, he actually felt safe here. Other very capable men were just outside that door. If anything was to happen, they would be able to handle it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't know what to expect from me by now, I don't know what to tell you.
> 
> (also random thing: I actually own and wear sclera contacts very frequently. I fell asleep with them in, while riding in the car, once. It was terrible)
> 
> Thank you guys for your continued curiosity!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments.


	82. Garrett : 9 : Hydrocodone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it bad to drink coffee late at night, at the time of this note- I'm craving coffee like a banshee, but it's really, really late.  
> ...  
> does decaff count? 
> 
> Either way- I'm calling this one done for now. And i'm changing the line's name because I didn't curtail this in the direction I wanted...
> 
> Well... i did? but the part I named the line for will be in the next round: whenever I get the brain capacity to continue.

Severian hated crutches, but he needed them. His left leg was up to the knee in a cast. Six weeks: he was told. Six weeks of being called “gimpy” by everyone he freaking knows. Scotty sounded more concerned about the number of “hospital trips” Severian had suddenly been racking up compared to him actually being unable to come to work.

He could still… technically. But lead host meant sitting at the front door and smiling at everyone that walked in. Not just the handful that ended up in his section. That sounded like a nightmare in of itself. Dealing with people, facing people: it was not Sev’s forte. He’s so much better at just making people disappear. 

Maybe even batting them around a little first. 

Hydrocodone (Vicodin) was making everything so much easier to deal with. Direson had given him twenty of the unassuming pills along with a stern warning. Severian had the courtesy to wait until Doc had left the room before promptly popping two more into his mouth. 

He regretted the impulse as soon as Zen walked into the front room. He was certain she had gone back into the city. She had to handle the aftermath of Piggy’s death. Curb the theories that were undoubtedly sparking, some of them far fetched- some of them spot on.

“How’re you feeling?” she hummed carefully, she wasn’t use to seeing Severian so under-dressed. He looked like someone ready for a mug of hot tea and a good book, perhaps curled up in the window watching a snowstorm. 

“Direson’s taking good care of me.” that wasn’t a lie. It was only half answering her question, but how was he supposed to say that he was on the verge of a high?

“You still look like you haven’t gotten much sleep.” That wasn’t a question, more like a demand for an explanation. She probably didn’t mean for it to be a demand. It felt like one- the exact kind of thing that caused bile to sting his throat. 

“Nightmares,” he clipped, “Whatever happened to the toys I brought you?” Severian hoped that would keep the subject away from the last few nights he’s had.

“They’re on their way to Italy.” She tipped her head, eyeing the white knuckled fists he tried to hold steady at his sides. “What kind of nightmares?”

Fuck.

“Nightmare-ish kind.” Severian clipped again. “I don’t want to mortify you with the details. This is me we’re talking about after all.” 

“Do you remember what you did to Stan?” That wasn’t a question he was expecting.

“Slit his throat in his bedroom. Took the hostage into custody and fled the premises out the window.” Severian almost felt mechanical as he reported he happenings. He knew Zen would know practically every detail of what went down. Lance was a police officer- even if he himself wasn’t there, his buddies would talk eventually.

“So you don’t recall everything.” She sighed to herself, Severian narrowed his sight. 

“Everything?” He bit, searching his admittedly spotty memory for any clue of what she was talking about.

“The condition of the breeder was all but mirrored onto Stan. The ball gag, the vile for the pills shoved in his mouth, his arms bound behind him with his tie, his legs disjointed from their sockets.” She tallied off with her fingers, “You sent quite the message to anyone in the ‘breeder industry’.”

Do it to them before they do it to you.

Severian was speechless. Zen let her stunned, still somewhat fragile assassin gather his thoughts as she moved to pour a couple drinks.

“Does Direson have you on anything?” She commented with the flask of liquor in hand.

“Just give me the damned drink.” Sev growled, limping to the couch to sit down.

“So. What kind of nightmares?” this again? Really? Was she just not going to drop the subject? Severian downed the burning, disgustingly warm bourbon before dragging that inevitable breath. 

“The kind that get’s your teeth drilled into, gets your arms flayed open, or how about that time you mind decided to see if you could handle an non-sedated amputation and reattachment combo?” the longer he recounted his nightly terrors, the more pissed he was getting. Why was his queen doing this to him?

Nightmares, just nightmares of a twisted mind! Every time he woke up he reflexively checked over the area of abuse with a fine toothed comb. No scars, no evidence: just something his sick mind wanted him to experience like a true sadist. 

Zen leaned in, prompting him to come closer. Severian’s heart arrested when she cupped a hand on his jaw, her smooth thumb ran over his lower lip. He opened his mouth to question what she was doing, something clicked, painlessly, from her touch. 

Just as slowly she turned on of Severian’s palms up, placing the little pearly cap into his hold. His front tooth just popped out… just like that.  
Implants? His tooth wasn’t real? How many of them weren’t real? 

Why couldn’t he remember getting new teeth!?

“You’ve been through a lot. It’s hardened you so you can do your job well.” her voice was as smooth as ever. As if none of this had any affect on her. 

Zen knew… his queen knew things about him that even he had no clue about. What else does she know? How does she know? How long was she going to keep him in the dark.

“The fuck did you do to me?” Sev snarled, his head spinning from anxiety and Vicodin. 

“I didn’t do anything, Seth begged me to pull you away from her. He loved you, you know. I don’t know why, but he did. Then you go on ahead and get him killed without even a single second thought.” Zen tsked slightly, “If you plan on falling apart and turning into a druggie- I might as well give you back to her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be back in two days. with a very different tone of story.  
> Hopefully everyone had happy Halloweens~
> 
> Just a side note, as of the end of this chapter you have read over 300 doc pages of ramblings. I'm still in shock that I've written that much. -i have four saves for this madness as of now, one with 104 pages, one with 99 pages, the third with 127 pages. it's insane.
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosities and pointers~  
> As always, feel free to rage in the comments.
> 
> ( see you on Sunday the 4th )


	83. Quintin : 1 : Warm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We haven't seen Quin or Jo in a while, so here's one dedicated to those two. 
> 
> I can feel the distrust radiating already.
> 
> (ps. I wasn't planning on falling so hard for Quin)

Jo practically just got off of work. Honestly, during most of his drive home he was on autopilot. Considering he wasn’t currently under arrest, his driving couldn’t have been that bad in his absence. All he wanted was a hot shower and a warm bed. He had pulled a double again in the shop. Jo was going to have a body build that rivaled the hulk by the end of this week. Perhaps he should cancel that gym membership that he only remembers he has when the payment is withdrawn from his account. At least he actually goes to work. 

The apartment door opened under his hold without any issues. Which was weird. Quintin normally stayed up to let him in- because even in the better neighborhood, he always double locked the door with a chain. Jo had actually put the chain up within a week or two of Quin staying with him. The little kitten’s nerves would skyrocket when he didn’t have the extra little security. 

So far, Quin’s only accidentally locked out his alpha twice. 

Maybe Kitten was just tired? He might have unlocked it so he could go to bed. That would be a major, unforseen, improvement. Jo looked over the apartment skeptically. Then the scent of Gene smacked him in the face. Eugene was gone now, probably to pick up Jaydon, but he was here with Quin. That explains everything.

Quin was awake, he was in the kitchen cleaning dishes when he heard his alpha come home. He couldn’t stop that stuttering purr from starting. Jo almost instinctually answered with a low growl. His little omega couldn’t really talk, so they compromised with little noises whenever they could. 

Kitten nearly pranced over to his alpha, impatiently bouncing between the balls of his feet. When Jo pretended to not notice, only to get his shoes off, Quin started with those demanding, endearing chirps that always broke his alpha. As soon as he could close the distance, Jo gave his little bundle of energy the hello kiss he was requesting. 

Quin fisted his alpha’s shirt, quickly rethinking the gesture. Jo tipped his head, frowning at the utter disgust on his omega’s face. Quin was staring at Jo’s sweat soaked uniform like it was made of hissing cockroaches.

“Twelve hours of work does this to a man,” Jo chuckled, only smiling wider when Quin’s asserting eyes burned into his own. “Yes, I’m planning on taking a shower.” the alpha promised as he edged around his omega. Quin let out a short, appreciative purr as he saw Jovan moving towards the hall bathroom. 

The apartment was perfectly clean when Quin finally let himself get ready for bed. His alpha was home, the door was locked, little leopard geckos (Jelly, Peanut, and Oreo) were fed and fat: everything was good and ready for the night. Quin couldn’t quite shake the habit of already being in the bed when Alpha comes into the room. He didn’t need to be afraid, not anymore. Jovan had shown that time and time again. It was still an automatic response in the back of his mind. No reason other than it needed to be that way, like a compulsive relock of a car using the remote, even though Jo had already locked the doors from the inside. 

Part of that compulsion was for him to only have his boxers on. Even though, every single time, he felt utterly vulnerable in his practically nude state. His scars were on full display. Burns from a couple years ago that just never really healed littered his arms and shoulders. His back was pretty messed up. There was no high collar of a sweater to hide the jagged line across his neck. 

As long as he could keep his torso and neck covered- Quin was starting to feel comfortable in his own home. He wasn’t really sure if this self-demeaning ritual was helping or hindering. Jo never really commented on his scars unless Quin was clearly freaking out over them, again. Even then Alpha was gentle. 

Jovan slipped silently into the oversized bed, his eyes slightly rimmed with red so he wouldn’t have to turn on the light and bother his omega. Quin was already curled on his side, his thin fingers clutching the blanket firmly over his shoulders. He wasn’t asleep yet, but Jo would let Quin think he was fooling the alpha. He would calm down as soon as Jo gets settled, maybe Alpha should leave an arm outstretched slightly as an invitation for the little omega to have all the cuddles he wanted. 

This alpha’s gotten very good at picking out his omega’s emotions by his scent. Nerves were rattling him now, that was sickeningly ritualistic at this time. Every night they slept in the same bed. Every night Quin would find that he was not attacked, or ridiculed, or whatever ungodly thing that beastly excuse of human felt like doing on a particular night. 

Every single night, Jovan found himself struggling to reign in his anger, so that his scent doesn’t turn into that spiced tobacco stink, as to not throw his little omega into a personal hell. He’s only slipped up once on one of the first nights. Jovan vowed that it would never happen again. Even if it meant tearing out his own glands: Jo was going to keep his promise. 

____________________

A twinge of worry?... distress? Not that strong of a word… Just an ache of uneasiness was enough to wake Jo from a sound sleep. His omega’s scent had spiked in the middle of the night. He naturally reached to Quin’s side of the bed when he gathered that there was no omega clinging to his side.

The mattress was cold and empty next to him. His normally grey eyes were completely red the second they opened from a sound sleep. He only had to sit up to see Quin balled at the bottom of the bed, shivering with broken whimpers barely able to filter through his throat. This again?

Jovan started that low growl before he even moved towards the sleeping omega. Quin was probably wrapped up in a nightmare. Jo all but crawled to the other side of the bed, just letting his fingertips run over the taut lines of his omega’s bicep. 

“Hey, Kitten.” his voice was deep, even when he didn’t want to use a command, all of the omega’s around him could feel that reverb in their chests. He almost hissed at how cold his Quin was, sweat plastered his long hair to his forehead, and his small mouth was drawn in a tight, restless line.

“Quintin, it’s me.” Jo purred a little louder, his hands wanting to be all over Quin, but his mind unsure of how to not startle the omega. He decided to thread his fingers through Quin’s weak fist. Just holding his hand and hoping the radiating heat would at least warm the thin digits. 

“Come on, Kit, come back to me.” Jovan was all but balled around the distressing omega. He wanted to hold Quin, pull him against his chest and just cradle him until he calms down. Kitten was so tiny, too innocent to be plagued by this kind of suffering. The littlest omega woke with a start, his thin arms splaying out defensively until it registered that the looming creature above was hushing him, not snarling. Quin was still trembling, his eyes were blown sightless in the dark room. Once again, Jovan was the only one able to see.

“It’s me, Kit.” he repeated again, his touch languidly ghosting over his omega’s chilled skin. “It’s Jovan, I’ve got’cha.” A whine wheezed from his omega, the long, drawn out noise cut mute by Jovan’s kiss. Jo’s hands clutching the dampened cheeks under him as he kissed away the nervous sounds. 

“Come lay down,” Jo purred darkly, “Let’s get you warm.” 

Jovan rolled over to turn on the side table’s light. Just a little thing that Quin had picked out the other week. Jovan could see in the dark- why else would he own a lamp? Originally he was just going to get up to get more blankets. If Quin didn’t want to sleep wrapped up with him, that would be okay. Quin wouldn’t need to risk freezing to death to feel comfortable. 

His kitten whined loudly as soon as he sat up to leave the bed. Jovan stopped instantly, his now grey eyes locking to his shivering mate. Quin let a little smile quirk his lips, slowly dragging himself up so that he could fix Jo’s hair. The long strands had gotten tangled around his horns again. 

“May I hold you?” Jo questioned, dipping his demonic head so that Quin had a better reach. His kitten nodded, swallowing before he let the quilt Jo had wrapped him in fall around his waist. 

“I’m not him.” Jovan’s voice rumbled, he laid back down in his spot except this time Quin was pressed against his side. Soft, warm bursts of breath were washing over the alpha’s scent gland. “You’re safe here, you know that?” 

A pitiful purr answered him, prompting Jo to thread his fingers through Quin’s long blond locks. 

“Wanna’ sleep with the light on?” Jovan nestled his nose against Quin’s temple, pressing kisses into every inch of skin he could reach. Another purr answered.

“Mmkay, good. I’m too comfy to roll over again, anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I never thought I would ever say the hardest part of posting every day is taking the two day breaks in between. It feels like I'm punishing myself for some reason. Regardless- I'm glad to be back.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosites~
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments.


	84. Quintin : 2 : Collars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a longer chapter, but I couldn't really bring myself to break it up. It would feel like I'm just trying to make things last longer. I'm not lazy... I'm not terribly lazy. I just sit on my hide and type during all of my free time. 
> 
> totally not the definition of laziness.

Quintin was up early, as usual. He was bouncing around the kitchen, his scent starting to waver between contentment and mild worry. Nothing was actually very wrong, he just couldn’t find his alpha’s coffee. They had just bought some- Quin had made the mental note to specifically grab the said canister. Dark roast, French roast preferably. Not that Jovan has ever really thrown a fit that the half milk half coffee drink was ever the wrong shade… Jovan just always commented on how it was yummy whenever it was a darker roast. He had to get something working, Jovan would be up soon. If nothing was started, maybe he would actually get angry. 

The alpha’s sleepy rumble caused the omega to yelp. Jovan froze where he was, his eyes wide and his face a couple shades paler. 

“What is it?” he braved to ask when he saw nothing amiss. “Did you hurt yourself?” He quickly approached his omega, taking his small hands into his and searching Quin over.

“Are you okay?” He tried to hold his omega’s gaze. Quin winced under his alpha, a sad whimper stuttering as he flickered his attention between Jovan and the dormant machine. A half relieved, half frustrated breath whistled between Jo’s teeth. 

“That’s it?” he smiled, kissing the worry lines that creased his omega’s forehead. “One of these days, you are staying in bed, and I’ll be the one making you breakfast.” Jovan dragged the scenting of his omega for a touch longer than he actually needed. “I just have to wake up earlier than you. Just once. My morning dove.” Quin kissed apologies into his alpha’s jaw, basking in the warmth that still radiated from Jovan’s bare chest. 

“I have the day off.” Jovan announced, mostly as a reminder to himself than anything. “You wanna go find some more clothes? Two outfits aren’t enough, you know.” If Quin had a tail, it would be tucked snug between his legs. His wide almond eyes pleaded with an unsaid “why not?” and “do I have to?” 

“Don’t look at me in that tone of voice.” Jo barked playfully, “I can spoil you if I wanna’, and believe me: you are gonna get so spoiled.”

____________________

The nearest official mall was a bit of a drive. The distance let Quintin acclimate to the prospect of wandering around in public. Outside wasn’t a thing that he handles well. 

As of now, Jovan had found a parking spot about half an hour ago. He was sitting in the still running car looking over his soundly sleeping omega. Quin looked super cozy in his turtleneck, hair tied back in a messy braid, his soft full lips parted placidly as he was sleeping against the car’s door. Jo really didn’t want to disturb him. 

“Hey, Kit.” Jovan placed a hand on Quin’s knee. “We’re here for the show, Babe.” the omega groaned at the words. Stretching a kink out of his shoulder as his eyes blinked open. It took him a few moments to actually look around- realize that he wasn’t tucked in the living room’s chair.

“You ready, Kitten?” Jovan couldn’t help but smile when Quin chirped and leaned over with another demand for a kiss. 

Littlest one was leaning on Jovan’s side as they walked through the center pathway of the mall. Veins of people bustled with arms loaded with bags of holiday gifts. Jovan was very careful to steer them through the crowd with the absolute minimum of collisions. 

“Wanna’ get something to drink first? Or do you wanna’ hold out until we get lunch?” a low rumble vibrated under Jovan’s hand. Quin was thinking, that may as well have been his replacement for “Um.” Two chirps eventually followed, so the second option. 

“Holding out?” Jovan nosed another kiss into the top of his omega’s head, he couldn’t help but stare down every alpha that was looking too long at his omega. That content little purr answered. 

____________________

The two were in some overly decorated, understaffed chain store: actively wandering around to find the male omega’s section. Jovan shouldn’t be surprised by the number of omegas bouncing back and forth, but he wasn’t use to seeing women omegas out and unattended. Granted they moved in groups, but he had to remind himself he’s outside the skirts of the city. This is where they’re all hiding apparently. 

More than one of them shied away at the mere sight of him. He felt like some deranged creature on the flimsy gold chain of his omega. Quintin’s presence seemed to be the only thing keeping Jovan from clearing the entire section of the department store. Not that he wanted the section to himself, he was just the only one in the sea with horns. 

Quintin didn’t know where to start. He naturally gravitated towards the sweaters, but some of them were just god awful to look at. “Ugly Christmas Sweaters” were being taken very seriously, apparently. Jovan pulled a long sleeve from a rack- the fabric was light, shouldn’t be too hot despite the length.

“How about this one?” Multiple eyes turned towards him when he spoke, despite him making an actual effort to lighten his voice. Quin deflated slightly, his fingers lingering at the high cuff of his sweater’s collar. Right, he wants that covered. Summers were going to be fun.

“Okay,” Jo smiled, trying to ease the nerves that spiked in Quin. His omega smiled weakly, shakily walking to another rack of clothing. The alpha carefully maneuvered himself around a particularly paranoid cluster of omegan women, their eyes burning into him with question. Quintin hasn’t actually said a word, it was probably raising all of their red flags. 

Quin chirped happily, earning Jovan’s instant attention. He was holding out a thick woolly thing with the image of a llama woven into the strands. Quin purred slightly, bouncing between the balls of his feet. It was cute, Jo had to admit that much. 

“I love it.” Jovan purred, Quin held the thing protectively. “It fits, right?” Quin tipped his head, holding it up to his chest with a look of, “No duh” crossing his eyes. 

“Okay, okay.” the alpha took the hanger, taking on his role as a shopping cart. “Find at least two more?” Quin instantly picked up two more of the llama shirts and purred. 

“Not what I meant.” Jovan barked a laugh louder than he intended. A couple women around him flinched at the noise. A rolling stutter that Jovan’s figured out was Quin’s growl started, he begrudgingly set the things back where he got them and began to rummage through the rack again. 

“If you want, they have more over there.” Jovan tipped his horn to point toward the Alpha Male section. Quintin instantly looked nervous.

“What? Do labels really matter? It’s not like a siren’s going to go off as soon as you touch something. Might even find something in the ‘women’s’ section.” 

____________________

Jovan had ushered his little omega across the unassuming walkway. Quintin was flitting around a little. His hands were inspecting a couple tee-shirts, his sight bouncing back and forth between the fabric and his alpha. 

“We’re here for you.” Jovan smiled lopsidedly, “If I get any more clothes- I’ll need to move my closet into the spare room.” Quin chirped something that Jovan couldn’t really understand. He was starting to chatter whenever he wasn’t really paying attention. Jovan had to wonder if Quin was starting to talk to himself in his own kind of way. When Quin moved on, Jovan tried to make a mental note of what his omega was interested in. He’s never really been able to ask what Quin likes his alpha to wear. It would be nice to know that he was proud to be seen with Jo every so often. 

The alpha was looking through his phone for a moment, text messages were filing in from Roma and Geo respectively. Apparently the two of them got into a tussle and each one was trying to explain their reasons the other started it first. Children: he was practically working with children. Neither of them were actually hurt, and since his father has thrown them at him, the fight wasn’t really all that bad to begin with. Probably just some background noise. 

Isn’t even worth responding to in the moment, it can wait until he’s back on the clock. 

Jovan’s throat closed when he saw his omega standing by the wall of collars. He didn’t even think of them, of course they would be in the alpha’s section- omegas never bought them for themselves. Why would they? They represented a side of society that alpha’s gloated about but omega’s cowered from. 

“Quintin,” he called, all but sprinting to his stock still omega. His omega looked up at him with a strange look, a collar held between his thin fingers. 

“No. Babe, no. I would never.” I would never share you.

Quin smiled nervously, holding the little purple thing up higher. It wasn’t leather at least, just a little stripe of velvety elastic. Jovan was searching his omega’s face for a clue of what he meant. He couldn’t want a collar, could he?

“You don’t want to try it on… do you?” Jovan felt sick at those words. It was absolutely repulsive to even think. “You know what it means, right?” 

Quin nodded, not meeting his alpha in the eye. Slowly he pressed the collar into Jovan’s hands, a scared purr starting. Alpha got the message, littlest one wanted to try it on. There was a chance that his omega wanted a collar. He can’t know what it means. Public affections? Multiple partners? Strangers on top of which. 

Maybe his past alpha required him to wear one, and now he thinks it’s a sign that the alpha wants him. Was he afraid that Jovan was going to just drop him at any point? 

“I’m not like that,” Jovan promised, “I would never do that to you, Quintin, look at me.” Jovan lifted his omega’s chin, “I don’t know what happen, but I’m not him. I would never get you a collar.” A pained look crossed his expression. Jovan didn’t know how to make it go away. 

“You really want to try it on?” Jovan spoke low, careful. Quin nodded again. Jovan took the little fabric in his over-sized hands. His omega turned away, lowering the high collar of the turtleneck. It fit perfectly, Jovan’s touch lingered on the foreign thing. Even if he wasn’t buying it- it was on his omega, Jo wanted his scent saturated in it. Quin hummed contently, moving just the few steps to a mirror that was set up along a support pillar of the store. 

Jovan didn’t like it. It weighed too much on his conscious that something like that was labeled onto Quin. His omega purred. He turned to face his alpha, his chin lifted to show it off. The little stip perfectly covered the scar on his throat. 

Guilt and rage prickled Jovan’s skin. His omega would feel better in a collar, but as an alpha he hated the sight of it. Quin shifted his weight between his feet, his almond eyes studying Jovans reaction. 

“If you really want it, okay.” Jovan fought to keep himself steady. He couldn’t keep his touch off of Quin, saturating him with his scent. Littlest one wasn’t oblivious to what was happening, a part of him was preening under the attentions. 

“How about…” Jovan let his sight sweep over the collection available to him. “This one.” he plucked a similar velvet black collar. 

“It doesn’t have a thing for a tag… It can just be a necklace.” Jovan’s voice cracked half way. He wanted for Quin to be more confident. Even if he was going to be wearing one of these bastard things: Jovan would be the one calling the shots. He could still protect his omega. Quin would just have to be with an alpha that Jovan trusts at all times. That’s not going to help the independence thing. 

____________________

Jovan had the relatively small bag in one fist with his other arm draped around his omega. He had gotten the kitten to pick out five shirts, four pairs of pants, and three collars. Since Quin didn’t need to worry about covering his neck- he seemed to enjoy shopping a lot more. It surely opened up his choices. Alpha still hated the collars, but he wasn’t about to ruin his kitten’s mood.

“Are we ready for food?” The alpha questioned, squeezing Quin’s shoulder warmly. The little omega chirped a few times ending in a nuzzling purr. 

“How about burgers?” Jovan smiled selfishly. Quin quirked a knowing brow, but nodded anyway. 

____________________

The restaurant was actually a part of the mall. Jovan had the shopping bag tucked under the table by their feet. Quin was tucked warmly under Jovan’s arm as he was gazing over the menu. 

The waiter tipped his horns impatiently, not helping Quin makeup his mind. 

“Just two colas.” Jovan offered, half hoping that it would give the kid a reason to disappear for a few minutes. 

“I’ll beat him away if he doesn’t give you enough time.” Jo growled playfully, scenting the nerves on his omega. Quin chattered to himself nosing against his alpha’s jaw. The little one had pointed at what he was interested in by the time the waiter had returned. The kid’s arm was loaded with a tray of drinks and chips. 

He had a crossed expression when Jovan ordered for Quin. His orange-brown irises inspecting the little omega with a raised brow. Jovan knew that look, hell, he’s been guilty of it more than a few times. The kid took the order obediently- offering a curt promise before gliding away. 

Seeing an alpha talk over an omega is an infuriating thing. Jo couldn’t even bring himself to be mad. It just meant that the kid had half a thought of his own- he wasn’t wrapped up in the “Dominant Alpha” thing that’s been flying around lately. Jovan knew the real story, that was all he needed. 

“So.” Jo leaned over to pull the basket of chips closer. “You up to wander around the mall a little more after this? Or do you just wanna head home?” 

Only one chirp this time. His brows furrowed as if he was concentrating too hard on something. Jovan pressed the umpteenth kiss of the day to his omega’s hairline.

“You know it’s easier for you to talk if you don’t get all flustered.” Jovan offered quietly. That didn’t stop Quin from stuttering a few tester syllables. Nothing that really meant anything to Jovan’s ears, as much as he wished he could just understand.

Quintin noticed that people from another table were watching him. Everything arrested when his anxiety shot up. Jovan pressed his panicking omega into his scent; holding him this close was normally a no in public decency. They would have to deal with it. 

“It’s okay, Quin. I got’cha.” He mumbled carefully, coaxing the little one to breathe slower. Quin hiccuped a few times. His eyes screwed shut as he just focused on his alpha’s presence. Safe, warm, giant: Jovan never gave him a reason to be afraid of the alpha. Jovan’s scent was strong of musk. He was the epitome of a working man- grease, oil, musk- for some reason, it just purred safety to the littlest one. 

“Is there somewhere you want to go?” Jo purred more than he asked, Quin nodded his head. A look of defeat filtered over his face. 

“Do you know where it is?” the look on his omega’s face answered that question. He shook his head ‘no’ anyway, finally distracting himself with the chip and salsa Jovan had pulled into range. 

“We can go find one of those… mall maps… why can't I think of the word.” Jo’s turn to grow frustrated. The little thing brought half a smile back to his omega at least. “Either way, you’ll be able to point it out.” 

The two were each half way through lunch when Jovan slammed a palm down on the table.

“Directory.” He blurted, “Found it.” before promptly taking a victory bite out of his very less than healthy burger. Quin shuddered his little silent laugh, nudging his alpha for being so ridiculous.

____________________

Quin chittered excitedly as he practically ran into the narrow shop. Jo felt out of place in the lush store, colors splashed on the walls in a unicorn vomit mix of pastel and neon. Advertisements of cartoon shows of omegas wearing less than dental floss graced the space above the shelving. 

Quin was chirping with a wide smile as he held out a plush cactus, “Free Hugs” written on it’s velvet pot. 

“It’s adorable.” Jo commented, still trying to make heads or tails of what he was seeing around him. Quin purred, his thin fingers tracing the outline of a character’s face on one of the posters. 

It was an alpha, looking overly accomplished in whatever universe he was from. Fiery red hair flared behind him with his dark cape fluttering in the eternal wind the picture was drawn in. 

“Do I have competition?” Jo teased in a loving growl. Quin purred back, shrugging noncommittally. 

Meaningless to say, Quin was now bouncing next to his alpha with his new cactus friend hugged against his chest.

____________________

Quin was once again sound asleep in the front seat of the car when Jovan was pulling into the underground garage. Jo looked over the bags in the back, before settling his sight on his little love. Figuring the clothes wouldn’t be heartbroken if he came back down later for them, he rounded the car to take his omega in his arms. 

The little one murmured only half aware of what was going on. Jo hushed softly, cupping Quin against his chest to keep him secure and warm. The elevator ride was quiet, accompanied only by the silky, creamy scent of his omega’s happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (hello my ninjas, I don't think I've said that in a while)
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosities!
> 
> Rage is for the comments. I'm goin' to bed.


	85. Quintin : 3 : Scruff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad I'm a few days ahead of posting, come morning I will be promptly scrapping an idea and re-writing an entire scene. Be glad that you don't have to see the carnage that is a train wreck of an idea. 
> 
> (Why am I so bad at not killing people?!)
> 
> Pray to the coffee, for it gives me strength x.x

Quin woke bundled in blankets. His alpha wasn’t in the room with him, but he was safe in bed, in their room, in their home. He could hear Jo talking in the other room, probably on the phone with someone from work. It took all he had to relax for a moment. Normally waking in strange rooms meant something horrid had happen. This time his alpha just brought him home and laid him in their nest. 

Quintin earned a spark of energy when he rolled over to see the pile of neatly folded new clothes that were set on top of the low dresser. He tried the things on in the store- but his alpha hadn’t seen him wearing any of them. He was home now, there weren’t any prying eyes trying to pick out why he was so silent. His vocals always turned someone’s attention to him: whether it be in adoration or absolute annoyance. Here, his alpha could look him over and let him know if anything was showing. In the safety of their suite, he could see how his alpha was going to react to him wearing a collar. 

Quin fussed over the clothes longer than actually sane. That collar was a nightmare to put on. The clasp was something that was to be put on by someone, not by the person wearing the said thing. He imagines it would be just as hard to get off of himself. He was still torn. The collar concealed the scar across his thin throat perfectly, but it would also bring a lot of implied meaning behind it. Collars were never used as “just a necklace” as Jovan had tried to convince himself. 

Garbed in a long shirt and a pair of leggings, Quin braved to leave the bedroom to face his alpha. Jovan stopped talking in the middle of a word. His grey eyes raked over his omega before his lips remembered he was trying to hold a conversation. One he ended promptly. 

“You look good.” he dragged a breath, trying to keep himself from staring at the purple line under his omega’s chin. Quin purred, his brown eyes held nerves while his full lips tried to smile. 

“You do. You look beautiful.” Jo had more confidence in his voice this time, maybe it was because he was closing the distance quite rapidly. “I wish... “ He cut himself off, his mouth twitching with the unsaid burdens. 

“I just wish.” 

Quin tipped his head, his rolling chirp calling for his alpha. Jovan bowed for the kiss, loving every second he had contact with his little love. 

“You were very brave today.” Jovan smiled, his hands starting to ghost over Quin’s limbs. Alpha preened in pride when his omega didn’t flinch from him. 

“Will you let me relax you?” Jovan’s tender question nearly melted his omega into a puddle. “Like before. Nothing more than what you were comfortable with.” Quin knew his alpha wanted to soak him in that musk scent. Whenever there was something that might cause Quin any distress, Jovan went overboard with the scenting thing. 

Quin always felt high off of his own body’s hormones because of it, if this was going to happen every time- he should have tried a collar a long time ago.

“Do you trust me?” Jo growled lowly, his eyes eaten by red. Quin nodded, unable to look away from his alpha’s sharp features. His hair was up in a sloppy bun, his long horns shining and dark where they met his relatively tanned skin. Jovan had every capacity to be fierce, there was a good chance that he was- once upon a time.

“Quintin?” His alpha echoed, “Are you with me, Kit?” An embarrassed blush painted his cheeks, eating up to his ears. Quin promptly nodded, purring as Jo’s hands cupped his jaw. 

“I can stop. We don’t have to do anything.” Jo’s voice was serious, his red eyes flickering between his omega’s, searching for awareness between them. The omega nuzzled his apology, purring into is alpha’s hold. He didn’t want to stop. He just… got side tracked. 

“May I scruff you?” Jovan spoke carefully, almost timid. Quintin’s nerves spiked instantly. Jo’s done it before- with his permission. Alpha’s never hurt him, neither has he gone farther than he knew Quin was okay with… there was no reason to doubt him this time.

Quin stiffly nodded, a soft whimper wheezed from his throat as he felt the hold on him shift. Jo’s dark, gentle voice hushed him. Carefully crafted promises fell from his lips as he lifted his omega into his arms. Quin nosed into the crook of his alpha’s neck as he was carried back into the bedroom.

One would think that Jo had picked up the habit of nesting from the way Quin was nestled in the center of the bed. He arched over his tiny omega’s frame, reverently worshiping every inch of his skin. Quin wasn’t even scruffed as of yet, Jo just wanted to be sure that he was okay. Make sure that Quin wasn’t caught in a silent panic attack. 

Jo had captured Quin’s full lips in a lock, passionate and grounding. He loved the scent that was wafting from his omega. It was sweet, innocent, god damned addictive. He held his omega’s scruff in a palm. A red glow in is eyes promised how attentive he was for his love. The look on his face was both intense and devoted. 

Quin stuttered his broken purr as permission for the unsaid question. The sound shuddered to muteness as Jovan carefully measured his strength. He knew the second his omega fell limp, his scent cut off all at once. 

“I’m right here.” the alpha growled, using a palm at the base of his littlest one’s skull to tip Quin’s head to the side. His kisses and soft bites worshiped the entire small column of the omega’s throat. He was lingering along the collar, he wasn’t satiated until every little thread of the thing was dripping with alpha. 

With delicate fingers, Jovan guided Quin’s shirt over his head. He only lifted himself to fold the doll like clothes to set them aside. His omega was nude below him, warmed by the nest and his alpha’s strong build. 

Jovan trailed praises from his omega’s navel, up to his placidly parted lips. Alpha’s arms wrapped under that lithe form, convincing the both of them that everything was okay. Perhaps the best part of being so vulnerable is the way nerves just fleet away. There was no need to worry- no need to wonder if you were responding the way alpha wanted. Just… relax, enjoy what was being offered. 

The question of whether or not he deserved this kind of affections was no longer an issue. Quintin was basking in the warmth of his alpha. 

White stars sparked across his vision when Jo bit at his collarbone. He already had one of his wrist glands under a massaging thumb, now he was suckling at that exctasy enducing bundle. 

Quin didn’t know when his alpha had actually relented to just cradling him against that muscle bound chest. He was only half lucid when the short-lived scruffing had worn off. Hardly telling the difference between his purring and his alpha’s rolling rumble, Quin was snuggled tight against the chilling shivers that wanted to start. 

____________________

Quintin loved waking up borderline unbearably warm and sweaty. That means his alpha was under his head, and that weight on his side was Jovan’s arm. 

“Good morning, sleepy.” Jo smiled, setting his phone down on the side table. “I was thinking, since we had a late lunch- we can just go straight to dessert.” Quin’s growl bubbled up, met only by Jovan’s nervous laugh.

“What? I’m allowed a cheat day.” the alpha squeezed his omega in an endearing hug. Quin held up four fingers: four cheat days in a row. 

“Well.” Jo kissed into the top of his omega’s head as a way to buy time. “We can have ice cream again tonight, and have a high five for a week well lived.” 

Quin’s growl continued to stutter. Jovan had used his omega’s scent of vanilla and angel tears as an excuse for his constant craving of ice cream. Quin didn’t want to sit and idly watch as his alpha became a six hundred pounder. Jovan was a big guy as it was- most of which being muscle… so far. At the end of the day, Quin realistically has no control over what his alpha does. 

“How about you go get showered, I know you want to. While you’re doing that I’ll get the ice cream and the movie set up?” Jovan smiled broadly, knowing full well he was being a brat. A date night in wasn’t the worst way to spend an evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosities!
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	86. Quintin : 4 : Protective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dingus isn't in this chapter- I'm still tweaking it a little.
> 
> Also this time change is screwing with my head. Normally I'm not a morning person.

“Are you sure you want to wear that?” Jovan couldn’t hold his tongue. He was looking over his now fidgeting omega, Quin was donning that black collar Jovan himself had picked out. The rest of the outfit was innocent enough: a long sleeved thing with “No Rain, No Flowers” scripted across his chest and a pair of nice fitting dark jeans. Quin began to chirp helplessly, both of his hands wrapping around his own throat with a defeated look in his eyes. 

“I’m not… it’s just…” Jo tried to wrangle his own thoughts. Clearly this was something Quin wanted to celebrate as a personal victory- it was… just hard to grasp why his innocent little omega would want such a thing on him. That unassuming little stripe of fuckatry detailing so much more than a choker. 

“I’m just going to be working for an hour or two- then we’re going right to that bar. Remember?” Jovan found himself shifting between his own feet. “I trust the guys I work with, I don’t trust the bar.” Quin whimpered, holding his arms open for his alpha to scoop him up. Quintin trusted his alpha, that was enough for the little one. Did alpha trust himself enough? 

“Pack a change of shirt?... just to make me feel better. First sign of trouble- I’m taking that thing off of you. You hear me, Love?” 

Quin could agree with that. He pecked a chaste smooch on his alpha’s nose before scurrying back into the bedroom. 

____________________

Quin ran into the store before Jovan, mostly to escape the falling snow. He had his coat hugged tightly against himself as he burst through the doors. Quin chirped his greeting while trying to shake the white powder out of his hair. Eugene was at the desk, instantly purring at the familiar face.

“Hey, Quin. How you doin’?” Gene resumed that smooth voice he normally used when talking with the little omega. Whether or not he was aware of what he was doing was still up for debate. 

Quin bounced around the desk and wrapped his snow wet arms around his much taller friend. Gene took Quin’s coat with half of a remark. His black eyes narrowed on the equally dark band. 

Everyone in the building heard and scented Gene’s rage. Quin could have sworn he saw a stain of red in those deadly dark omegan irises. Jovan- practically coated in snow- chose the wrong time to slip into the store. Senior was already running down the hallway from his office when he saw the gothic omega arm himself with a box cutter and vault clear over the greeting counter. 

Jovan Jr barked some kind of command, remembering instantly that it’s never worked in the past. That infuriated omega was closing in fast, with every intent to kill. Quin yelled, brokenly. Jovan Senior only chased after Gene in the hopes to restrain the madman. 

“It’s totally not what you think.” Jr sprung out of the way of another one of Gene’s tackles. The omega lashed to escape from Senior’s hold on his arm. 

“Eugene, I swear to fuck-” Jr was interrupted by a feral very alpha sound that erupted from Gene’s throat. 

“Kneel.” Senior barked, taking a firm fistfull of black and white fur. Jr prayed for the best as he knelt at his father’s command. Not sure if it would convince the omega that the older alpha was in control or not. 

“Eugene, Kneel.” He commanded again, darker this time. The omega still had a white knuckled grip on that razor, the animalistic glint of red in those black eyes. Jovan Senior had to overpower the omega’s steadfast legs. Eventually crushing him to the tile flooring. Another demanding roar reverberated from Gene’s chest before the elder could cover his sight. 

“Drop the knife.” Senior directed, jerking his head for his son to go check on Quin. Commands were flying back and forth- the little one probably was a mess on the ground. No other alpha even dared to enter the front space while everything was going on. 

“Breathe, there was a misunderstanding.” The father's voice rumbled with authority. He was pulling Gene's form flush against his planted leg. Eugene struggled regardless. Senior had his back to his cooing son. Jr found Quin knelt on the tile just behind the counter. He proceeded to scoop the little one in his hold to take him far into the back of the shop. Away from the aggressive scents that were saturated in the air. 

____________________

“You have five seconds to speak.” Gene growled, clearly being forced to act civil. Jovan Jr had Quin sitting on his lap as he looked over the almost overdue paperwork. 

“Quintin’s idea. It covers the scar on his throat. No. I won’t let anything happen to him.” Jovan spoke quickly- not doubting that Gene was actually counting the seconds in his head. 

“A collar?” Gene popped his jaw, “There are other, less risky, methods.” 

“Kitten feels comfortable in it- I’m not going to control him.” Jovan studied the omega that was challenging him from the other side of his small desk. “You think I’m not going crazy seeing it on him?” Quin dropped his head at the last sentence. If it was going to be this much trouble- he should just go change. 

He doesn't get it though. As long as Alpha says no to any offers- there wasn’t any danger. Were they so scared of what people would think that they would rather leave him uncomfortable in his own skin? Walking around like this- he looked more like a normal omega than when he had to wear those god awful things just to hide his past. He doesn’t want people to see the marks. People treat him like he’s made of glass when they see them. Maybe with the collar- they’ll think he’s stronger than he looks. More capable than how he’s been treated. 

Quintin didn’t want to be made of glass forever. 

No, there was no reason for him to go change. He trusted his alpha, and he was ready to face these so called foretold monsters. 

____________________

The two were practically frozen by the time they made it through the familiar doors of the corner bar. It was early in the night- the Rowlkin crew were still bouncing around in work. Later on they were going to gather here, at Pitbull’s for a post-hell drink. Quin was pretty sure that Jay was working tonight, so there was a chance that he would pop in to socialize for a little. Jovan leaned on the bar to gain the worker’s attention while Quin debated on which of the oversized booths he should claim. 

Fingers wrapped under Quin’s chin, turning him abruptly to look up at a strange alpha. He was somewhat fat, his cheeks crushing his eyes into slits, and the overwhelming stink of liquor heavy on his breath.

“You’re a pretty one.” He commented more to himself than to the omega. Quintin’s hair stood on end as he swatted the man away from him. That stuttering growl started, his almond gaze hardening on the stranger.

“Feisty, too. Who’s your alpha?” He tipped his dull horns in question. Jovan made his presence known by crushing Quin under one of his long arms. His red eyes unamused as he looked over the stranger.

“How much for half an hour?” the stranger smiled, shifting to tug out his wallet.

“No.” Jovan asserted. The hand he held on Quin’s shoulder tightened. 

“Are you the type that likes to watch?” the alpha smiled broader, “I wouldn’t mind puttin’ on a show.” 

“The answer is no.” A growl seeped into Jovan’s voice. The alpha snorted, shrugging to himself before turning back to the bar-top. 

Jovan only separated for two more seconds to retrieve their drinks before ushering his Quin into a booth. He’ll be able to sit between his omega and any other alpha that gets any ideas. 

“You okay?” Jo mumbled against a kiss to Quin’s temple. The Kitten nodded, an apologetic look crossing his features. 

“Don’t worry about it. I have a feeling that one would have been a pain regardless.” Jo continued to pepper his omega in affections until Quin started batting him away. The last straw was when Jovan captured the little juncture of Quin’s neck, and proceeded to suckle a hickey. 

Tingles were alight along Quin’s nerves, he wanted to melt against the touch and mewl for more- but they were in the middle of public! Quin shoved his alpha as hard as his little form could. Jovan released him immediately with look border-lining fear wrinkling his features. 

Quin ran his chilled fingers over the still sensitive spot, a looked of “The fuck are you doing?” drawing his brows together. 

“I would say sorry, but I’m totally going to be doing that again when we’re alone.” Jovan instinctively sprung from the booth as Quin chucked a stout glass of -hopefully- water at his alpha. Jovan laughed heartily, making some comment about Quin spending way too much time with Gene. The bartender seemed to have multiple questions on the whole ordeal, but he kept silent when Jovan knelt down to help clean up the mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the weird timing in this round. The ending will pick up in the next chapter-
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosity~
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments!


	87. Quintin : 5 : Bar Flies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my Ninjas!
> 
>  
> 
> Another day, another chapter: I'm currently having a hard time keeping things consistent. Don't look directly at the plot holes.
> 
> I also found a thing that's actually really helping me with catching weird wordings. There's a Text to Speech program online- just plug in some headphones and hope for the best.

Quin had three drinks and two more offers. Jovan was almost concerned on how quickly Kitten was downing his sweet little cocktails- but half of him wanted another drink after dealing with “offers” as well. Quin trusted him- they both were annoyed at the men- but he let Jovan handle everything. 

They were enjoying eachother's company, until a couple scooched into the booth across from the cuddling duo. The alpha looked strange. Completely bald, one eyebrow, mismatched eyes, and a terrible excuse for a goatee: the alpha had a smirk on his face and a flush to his skin. The omega he was with also had a collar, except a chain leash was attached to the clasp. The he looked worn, his skin translucent, and wide, hollow eyes. 

“It’s good to meet someone with similar interests.” Quintin could not stop staring at the missing eyebrow. Why? What happened? Who hurt you, dude?

“I don’t think our interests are as similar as you think.” Jovan kept his voice disengaged, but he couldn’t help tallying everything wrong with how the other omega looked.

“Two sides of the same coin,” the stranger smiled, Quin watched as the other omega arched everytime his alpha’s hand moved- but he was never rewarded with a touch. “Where are my manners? I am Kai, good to meet you, Sir-?”

“Boothe.” Jovan grunted. 

“Boothe…” Kai depressed for only a moment as he sucked a breath to inflate his ego. He tipped his bottle of beer in regards and downed half of the thing in one effort. 

“So.” Kai tugged his omega’s chain to force him further from his side. The omega looked utterly defeated as he leaned against the far wall. “I can’t help but notice that you’re turning down all of your offers? May I ask what your price is?” 

“That is where our interests diverge.” Jovan frowned, his heart was being tugged at by that silent kid on the other side of the table. 

“You have an omega, pretty one at that, with a very new collar. Are you new to this trade?” Kai shrugged, pointing a pinkie at his companion. “If you want, I can teach you using pet over there.”

“Pet,” the word was acid on Jovan’s tongue, “looks like he’s about ready to drop.” 

“That’s just nature of the beast.” Kai held up the iron leash. “The more touch-starved, the closer to dropping, the better they behave. Pet would do literally anything to appease me.” Kai was clearly very pleased with himself, popping his lips as Jovan just barely stifled his growl. 

“I’m getting another beer- I’ll be right back.” Kai suddenly stood, winking towards Jo. 

Jo didn’t move, he couldn’t lift his eyes from the bastard, he couldn’t even breathe. Quin murred helplessly, pinned under Jovan’s iron hold and his tobacco stink. 

Kai was away- either oblivious or too stupid to care that he left his ‘pet’ alone with the two. Jovan shifted, stretching an arm across the table. 

“Come a little closer.” he coaxed, running a thumb over the omega’s cold cheek as soon as he came in reach. The pet purred instantly, nuzzling into the touch with his eyes fluttering.

“Stay up, little one, don’t drop if you can, okay?” Jovan’s voice started to edge a command, “Can you do that for me?” The omega’s promise was quick. Jovan half wondered if that was a trained response. 

Loud, bordering obnoxious, voices erupted in the bar all at once. The Rowlkin had just closed and here come the workers. The group split, half running straight for a strong drink while the others crowded the chosen booth. 

“Hello strangers.” Eddie smiled, tipping his head in greeting as he slid into the booth right next to the touch-starved omega. The twins were at the bar, Jay had crept into the booth immediately behind Quin and was stealing a hug from over the back of the seat. 

“What’s this?” Jay snapped, his snarl aimed at Jovan. 

“Covers his scars- Eugene already tried killing me.” Jo chuckled like that was a normal sentence for people to say.

“Nothing happened?” Jay was scenting the collar- Jo made a mental note to undo that when Jay wasn’t looking. 

“Other than bastards, no. I wouldn’t do that to Quintin. He’d fuckin’ kill me in my sleep.” Jovan smiled nervously. Quin didn’t deny anything. 

“What’s with the party?” Kai eyed the sudden crowd, scowling as he noticed Eddie had an arm around his pet’s shoulders. 

“You plan on paying me for this?” Kai barked, his eyes lining with red as he burned into the short bearded alpha. 

“He looks like he needs cuddles, and my body’s ready.” Eddie smirked, nosing his scent along the pet’s jaw. 

“You fucks have two omegas here- and you think you’re going to just take mine like it’s nothing?” Kai’s hands started to shift, all of the Rowlkin’s alphas bristled at the sight. 

“You really think that a strip of leather is going to dictate someone’s life?” Aden rumbled as he pressed himself into the booth- acting as another layer between Kai and the omega. 

“We all know what collars mean! You uncultured-” Kai was silenced by Severian’s grasp on his throat.

“Sure- you can have your toys, but keep them out of the public if you don’t want them taken from you.” he smiled into a hum as he released the frustrated alpha. 

“You can have him for a price. Since you all are so equality driven: that redhead fuck over there needs to pay me one hundred- right now- or else I am leaving with my omega.” 

“One hundred?” Jaydon barked a laugh. “Fuck dude- I make that on a short day.” He promptly pulled out his wallet and began to count off the twenties.

“Here. Take it. Merry Christmas- fuck’o.” 

Kai stood with fidgeting eyes. He wasn’t actually expecting an omega to have a dime to his name- let alone be able to hand over cash without a second thought. Jaydon pressed the money against the alpha’s chest as he walked to the other side of the booth. 

“Okay, Squish.” Jay chirped as he climbed over the low wall and wedged himself between the omega and the cold tile, knocking Aden off the edge in the process. 

"Let's get this off of you, yeah?" Jay purred carefully. It was painful to see the omega flinch when Jay's touch moved over the collar's clasp. He looked almost in awe when the heavy leather piece clinked onto the table.

"I'm sure that feels better." Jovan hummed, still rubbing nervous circles into Quin's shoulder. It felt like heaven- Kitten wasn't about to stop his alpha. The former pet felt the lines of his throat, as if just trying to convince himself that this was actually happening. His smile was precious as he nuzzled warmly against Jaydon's shoulder.

____________________

Jason was the former pet’s name. He was a muddled mess between his third or fourth round of alphas. He had gone from no touch or affection, to all of the love in the world. They didn’t even need to buy the kid a drink to get him plastered. Meaningless to say, he was no longer at risk of dropping. 

Jovan questioned for the hundredth time if they were going to be able to take care of Jason. Eddie reassured that as soon as the omega was lucid- he’d offer to call someone for the little one. Even if that meant for the omega to be sleeping on someone’s couch to sober up. 

“Okay, I have to ask.” Jay leaned closer to the new omega, “The hell was up with that dude’s face?” Jason smiled, a restrained laugh clear on his expression. 

“Kai mistook ‘nair’ for shampoo.” he panted, his translucent skin has taken on a dusty blush color. An alpha called Ryan was distracting the omega with a carefully placed kiss along Jason’s wrist.

“Nair?” Eddie raised the question, a couple of the alphas suddenly looked interested.

“Hair removal cream. You rub it on and it makes hair fall out.” Jaydon supplied. “Quin totally knows what I’m talking about. He’s seen Gene use it.”

“Gene de-fuzzes?” Aden barked a laugh at the mental image of the ever grumpy goth fussing over leg hair. 

“I’d kill him if he didn’t!” Jaydon nudged, “He’s a fuckin’ furry bear otherwise.” 

“Question.” Aida blurted. “How weird would it be if both Aden and I asked Skylar out?” 

“Very.” Jovan snorted, majority of the consensus agreeing with him.

“Why not? We’re two capable alphas, willing and devoted to take care of our omega.” Aden.

“Our omega?” Ryan chuckled, “Does this Sky even know your plan yet?”

“No.” both the twins snapped at the same time.

“We just want to know what kind of support system we have first.” Aden.

“After all, chances are he’ll be talking to you guys ‘bout us.” Aida. 

“Alphas have multiple omegas all the time- why is it so different for an omega to have more than one alpha?” Aden.

“You dipshits are serious.” Jaydon tsked, talking a deep drink of his soda. "You do realize Gene calling you two 'twincest' was a joke, not a challenge. Right?" 

“I’m pretty sure having a reverse harem isn’t high on Skylar’s bucket list.” Eddie shrugged, earning heated glares from the twins. “Don’t give me that-" Eddie continued to snort, "We’ve all seen how Gimpy looks at Sky.” The said silent patron suddenly turned sheet white. His violet eyes flitting over the crowd with a snarl of rejection on the tip of his tongue.

“Don’t deny it, Dude.” Ryan chirped. "Gimpy" Severian only turned his nose back down into his phone to pretend such a conversation never existed. Jay slapped the table to get the irate twins’ attention. “Besides, how the actual hell do you expect Sky to handle the two of you in a rut?” 

“He’s right, the poor kid’ll be eaten alive.” Jovan shouted over the albino’s retort. They bickered back and forth. Most of the time talking themselves into corners.

____________________

Quin was feeling the effects of the vodka. He had drank more than he ever has- which, compared to some others still wasn’t all that much. He leaned heavily on his alpha’s arm as he determinedly shuffled his feet across the garage. 

“You sure you don’t want me to carry you?” Jo smiled back at the scowl from his blearily focused omega. 

Quin left his alpha’s side as soon as he breached the door to their home. He managed to stumble to the couch before flopping face first onto whatever would catch him. Trust falls with gravity rarely ever ended well. Jovan chuckled at the sight. He still had his head on straight since he only had one and a half drinks over the course of the last four hours. The extra half coming from the left over of Quin’s very sugary drink. 

Jovan carefully removed his kitten’s shoes, earning a groan from the irritable drunk. He then ghosted his fingertips over the velvet strip, clicking the little golden lock and letting it fall to the ground. 

“We’re going to bed.” Jo smiled at the inebriated slap that popped against his chest. “Come on,” Jo continued to keep his voice even. The pink flush of alcohol was bright along the bridge of Quin’s nose, his eyes unfocused and half lidded as Jovan supported his limp weight to sit up. 

Quin might have been struggling against Jovan’s arms as he was lifted. He was too worn out to put any energy behind the assault. All he wanted was to lay down and go to sleep. 

Jovan set his omega on the edge of the bed. Kitten snarled up at his alpha for continuing to pester him. His shirt was pulled off over his head- majority of the bar stink coming off with it. Jovan then knelt before his omega, carefully pulling the jeans down his thin legs. A more desperate whine whistled from that thin throat. 

Jovan’s hush did little to settle the drunken fear. Jo held one of his own tee-shirts in a fist while his other hand softly cupped his omega’s cheek.

“It’s me, Babe. I’m not him. It’s Jovan. You’re okay.” Jovan kissed his omega’s hairline, holding Quintin’s trembling limbs. 

“Let me get you dressed. We’re going to sleep, Kitten.” 

____________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for your continued support and curiosities!
> 
> Rage is for the comments- hopefully we're having a good week though.


	88. Quintin : 6 : Nursery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my Ninjas,  
> hopefully you're all having a better week than this corner of the world.

Quintin was in the kitchen, still ignoring the fleeting headache from last night’s events. He was working on dinner, making enough for six alphas. Jovan and he was going to go over to Jay and Gene’s apartment to help them set up the spare room as a nursery. Not that they weren’t capable, Quintin would be absolutely appalled if they didn’t include him. How else was he supposed to be the greatest uncle in the world if he wasn’t there giving the daddies a hard time? Knowing the two, they haven’t eaten the entire day. Hence the feast Quin was working on. 

Jovan loittered the edges of the tile, a brat look in his eye. Quin flashed the cleaver he had in a thin had, using the- way too big- knife to aggressively chop away at carrots. The unsaid warning of “I’m too busy for your games” left fully ignored. Warm, greedy hands snaked from behind the omega. Jovan’s hot breath on his nape as his fingers tried to infiltrate the bottom of Quin’s shirt. 

Quin zealously decapitated another vegetable. Jo chuckled, commenting on how Kitten shouldn’t be like that. His partly mutated fangs grazed lightly along Quin’s shoulder. Tingles flooded the omega’s blood, his hold on the knife tightened to stop himself from melting into the ministrations. 

A conquering rumble smirked from Jovan’s chest. His strong fingers splayed up the lithe form in his hold. Quin stuttered his growl, dropping everything onto the counter and glaring over his shoulder. 

“I can’t worship my love?” Jo teased under his breath, peppering his affections all along Quin’s scruff. “After all, I had every intention of making you breakfast in bed. Yet, here you are conjuring up more food than ever.” Quin chittered, throwing himself around and holding up an accusing finger. 

Jovan captured the omega’s velvety soft lips under his. The alpha’s hands smoothed over Quin’s chest to knead the tender flesh there. Quin’s back was pressed against the counter by the strong presence of his alpha. Eventually, Jo released his breath stealing kiss to set his teeth in the little juncture of Quin’s shoulder. A shuddering gasp rasped from his omega. Jo shifted to nosing reverently against the bruising skin. Grey eyes gazed heavily up at Quin’s face: his little nose, his brilliant eyes, his pillowy lips. 

Quin nipped at the kiss Jo pounced with, pressing his omega tighter between himself and the counter. Anything Quin wanted to get done clearly was going to be left unattended as the omega succumbed to the affections. At this rate- they were going to be late going to Gene’s altogether. 

The omega was panting with his head lolling to the side. The couple were drunk all over again. Alpha’s scent heady and thick in the air. Jovan pressed open mouthed kisses and razor lined nibbles over every inch of his omega’s flesh. Quin’s thin pajama shirt only clinging to his body by his wrists. A dark, possessive growl filled the air as Jovan’s tentative touch slipped between Quin’s thighs. 

Jovan sobered quickly as he raised his head to study Kitten’s eyes. His palm had run over his omega’s arousal, finding that he wasn’t. 

“Hun?” the alpha practically begged. Quin didn’t respond as quickly as Jovan hoped. Jo’s touch moved solely to his omega’s cheeks.

“Babe, are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Jovan felt the bite of panic eat at his spine. “Quintin, Sweetie. Talk to me.” Quin was caught in a cold sweat, his pupils were both blown and hollow. He looked like he was dropping. 

Why? The two have done this before! They always spontaneously mess around whenever. What was making the little one drop?

It was just a drop right? 

Jovan burrowed his nose behind Quin’s ear, holding his body firmly in a loving embrace. Only the sweetness of that vanila greeted his senses. 

“Lean on me.” the alpha did his best to direct that noodling neck into the crook of his shoulder. “Just relax, Kitten. I’m right here.” 

Jovan’s lust was purged from his veins by the fear for his omega. Quin felt like he was freezing while his unfocused eyes lulled to the back of his head every so often. The alpha carried Quin to the couch, pulling every throw blanket in reach. 

Maybe it was because Quin hasn’t nested in a while? He had gone from a daily ritual of collecting everything to stopping cold turkey. Ever since Jaydon announced they were expecting a baby, Quin just never nested. Jovan’s been doing his best to keep the little one in high spirits. Clearly something was going on. 

“Can you feel me holding you?” Jovan had Quin across his lap, his head tucked right against his scent.

“We’re in our living room, Love.” He rambled. “On the couch, you’re all wrapped up in that blanket you hate.” Jo chuckled dryly. “I can’t seem to reach the super fuzzy one you like. 

“We have to go meet Jaydon and Eugene soon. Remember? You were all excited.”

____________________

Quin’s awareness burst back into him all at once. He jolted up from Jovan’s cradling embrace and bolted to the kitchen. Jo- now sporting fresh, red lines from Kitten’s claws- stuttered at he tried to keep up with the sudden panic.

“I turned off the stove earlier, so nothing would burn.” the alpha explained, quickly gathering his omega back in his arms. “You shouldn’t be running around so soon after that, Love.” Quin chittered in short bursts. Wordlessly as usual, infuriatingly so. Jovan sucked a careful breath, keeping his temper at bay. Quin couldn’t help what had happen to him. His voice was literally ripped away, every sound out of his mouth is probably a painful self-reminder of that. 

“We need to figure out something,” Jovan for once didn’t wait for Quin to finish mumbling. His brown eyes widened with fear. 

“There’s no way you can sanely live an entire life without being able to say something.” Jovan felt like blood was on fire. His grey eyes were fidgeting against the tile backsplash as his thoughts convulsed between one or another.

“Even if we try getting you to write again. Notes… or journals. There has to be a way I can know what’s going on. Without this guessing and hoping for the best.” Jovan didn’t realize how tight of a hold he had on his kitten’s arm. A bruise was already surfacing under the unforgiving hold. 

The alpha looked terrified once he glance back to Quin, seeing that wince on his lips. He instantly threw himself back. His air suddenly turning to lead around him. 

“I’m sorry.” quickly became his mantra. He didn’t mean to- he would never hurt Quin. 

His omega had that hollow look again. His arms were tucked close against his chest as he seemed to be staring off into a void. Jovan knew his little one shouldn’t have moved so quickly after resurfacing: but him bruising his Quin may have been the thing to push him back over. Quin might have been fighting the drop in his own silent way. Whatever he was doing didn’t work as he slipped harshly to his knees. Jovan fased to his omega’s side before Quin fell completely limp, barely able to catch him before he sprawled helplessly onto the floor. 

“I’m bringing you to our nest, okay?” Jovan hushed, unsure if Kitten could even hear him in this state. He was so light and tiny that Quin could easily be lost in the fluff that was the bedding. Jovan continued to purr apologies and soft praises to his omega. Trying desperately to coax him out of this mindset. 

Whatever originally caused this- is going to need to be addressed quickly.

____________________

Jaydon opened the door, singing a hello as he wrapped his arms around both Quin and Jovan. Jay’s belly was really starting to show the baby bump. Enough so that he was being forced to actually wear those maternity shirts- much to his dismay. 

The food Quin was working on never actually got finished. So Jovan had the peace offering of stopping for god-near one hundred dollars worth of take out. His arms were loaded, even Quin had a couple containers in his grasp. Eugene snorted a chuckle at the sight, belatedly offering to help carry something. 

“Why so much?” Gene quipped, wondering if there would be enough room in the fridge for the leftovers. 

“Did you guys actually eat today?” Jovan smirked at the look of realization the two nesting parents shared.

“Food first than?” Jay squeaked, “I’m still undecided on the room’s color anyway.”

“You haven’t even bought the paint yet?” Jo snorted, Quin tipped his head in question.

“We have five gallons of random-assed colors waiting for dingbat to make up his mind.” Gene shouted from the cupboards. 

“I love you.” Jay sang innocently, smiling at those coal eyes. Eugene couldn’t stay mad at Jay- even in good fun. 

“Yeah, yeah. Remember that the next time I get the ‘wrong shade of periwinkle.’ You’re so lucky that the alpha-cuck in the store knew what he did!” Gene rolled his eyes, taking his seat right next to Jay, almost actually pulling Jay up onto his lap. 

“You brought home something that looked like it belonged in a death metal concert- not a baby’s room.” Jay.

“Death metal Periwinkle… how the fuck does that even make sense?!” Gene.

“I’m thinking this baby thing is turning you more alpha than ever before. You color blind skunk.” Jay.

Quin wasn’t at all concerned about the couple’s jeering. Jovan leaned over to steal another eggroll, whispering to the little omega’s ear. “Are they always like this?” 

Quin nodded with a smile. Well, it would take a certain kind of personality to keep the volatile goth under control. Jovan can tell for sure that he wouldn’t need to worry about Jay being overrun by Gene’s madness. They bantered back and forth naturally, without a single drop of malice in any of the words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some extraneous situations I'm cutting this short (Sorry I typed until I actually ran out of time. so. there's going to be a lot of typos.) Normally I'll be back in two days (monday the 12th), but. I don't actually know when I will be returning.
> 
> I'll do my best to stay on the usual schedule, no promises though. Thursday night the absolute latest. Long story short, my baby cousin is a jackass that makes Sevie look like a saint. And my grandfather is in the hospital. The two things aren't related (thankfully) they're just coexisting right now.


	89. Scritches : 1 : Haze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were up to date, no. You're not going crazy- I deleted the line and is now restarting.
> 
> Not too much has changed in what actually happens, it's the wordings and inner details I have tweaked. As of right now, I feel more comfortable with this verses the older one. With any luck you'll be able to see a difference if you chose to re-read the line as I post.

Does the dead actually need to breathe? Surge was standing on the wall between a couple chatty guards. The mustard thick miasma that has seemed to have made its permanent home here was making the scouting jobs very difficult. Not to mention the heavy metal of the handgun Surge was entrusted with still hung dauntingly on his waistband. He hasn’t found the need to put it to use as of yet- and it hasn’t spurred to life of its own accord. So a breed of truce between the two has been accomplished. 

The undead dog has rarely left Surge’s side since last week’s storm. Surge has never had a pet before- let alone a full blown, hip tall, wolf of a dog. The braver soldiers lovingly called the unusual companion “Scritches” because that was practically all the pup wanted. A couple scraps of whatever ungodly meat Surge found to curb his own appetite, and a thousand belly rubs from anyone fortunately- unfortunate enough to earn Scritches’ attention. 

Surge may be new to this pet thing- but even he understood that he needed to feed his new, albeit lovable, companion. Hell, Scritch was a zombie- if he didn’t get to eat, the village would be thrown into a fully realized nightmare: more than it already had the misfortune of dealing with. 

Scritch was prancing at Surge’s side as they paced the length of the blockade for the fourth or so time of the day. Everyone was in gas masks , even Scritches. Children played in painted masks that deformed them into demonic creatures. The designs probably resembled some kind of forgotten cartoon character- the sight was just unnerving now. The plants that were limping along are now completely frizzled. After the abuse of the past few days, no about of aid from the caretakers would be able to revive the withering plant life back from the brink. Nothing alive could face this without earning a prompt and severe case of very permanent death. On the brighter side no threat seemed to be moving out there today- which was to be expected. Anything that was moving around in these conditions probably wouldn’t be brought down by bullets anyway. The down side- except for the megar hunting that some of the scouts managed over the course of the past few months- there wasn’t any food in production.

The village could survive two more weeks peacefully. If they couldn’t figure something out soon, anarchy would be the best case scenario. Hunting wasn’t only unreliable- it was god damned immoral. Teams would spend days on end to find a small pack, or loner, of a creature that has survived all of this turmoil, just to put a bullet in its head. Surge was starting to understand why that half turned alpha monster had turned to cannibalism. Human’s were the ones that caused this shit’e hole to begin with. 

They were making the end of another round when Scritch tipped his head as if he was listening to something far off. Lance shouted again from the stairway, jogging to catch up with Surge. His body looked worn out from all of this, when was the last time he had slept? His normally square shoulders sagged and his right foot just kept trying to drag behind. 

“Surge.” He blurted, the filter he was wearing distorted his voice almost unintelligible. “Green…. River. Do you… edible.” scratch that, it was very unintelligible. Surge tipped his head raising one of his half bald eyebrows in question. Scritches seemed oblivious to the meaning of the man’s arrival, but was not about to complain. He bashed his scarred up head against Lance’s thigh until he got that just right, behind the ear scratch he was craving.

The taller alpha visibly sucked a breath.

“There was green by the river.” Lance had to have been yelling behind the leather. He was looking expectantly until Surge acknowledged that he could understand.

“Do you think there was anything edible?” 

Surge didn’t even think to check while he was there. Instead he was too busy flirting with the two girls.

Not… flirting per say. But… yeah. 

He shrugged his ignorance, motioning towards the fog that’s been settling over the land for the past few days. Whether or not it was edible once upon a time, there was a solid chance that it was very dead by now. Even if it wasn’t- the squads going out would quickly join the meandering, mumbling corpses. 

“I know.” Lance hissed. “As soon as this lets up, I’m going to send out a couple teams to check out the river mouths. Would you mind accompanying them? There shouldn’t be too many threats after all this yellow shit.” Lance looked like he was at the end of his rope. Only the devil knows if this man actually gets any sleep at night. There had to be a way Lance can share the responsibility of this settlement. This is just far too much for one guy to handle: military or not. The zombie nodded to the plan regardless, all while patting his dog’s head. It went practically unsaid that Scritch would be going too. The dog probably has one of the worst cases of separation anxiety on record. He’s never seen the dog become aggressive, even when his patients was being tested by some of the youngest survivors. With any luck there won’t ever be a need to become aggressive. 

____________________

Three days dragged on before they were able to move out. Lance used the down time as an excuse to squeeze in some extra ‘training’ for a couple fledgling soldiers. Surge loved being able to watch as Lance gave the new recruits some stupid, mind numbing task that would drive anyone mad. This particular time they were cleaning the armory. As in, wiping down and checking each and every gun they had in storage. It was an important jop- not to be underestimated. One could only take apart, wipe down, and reassemble the same make, model, custom rifle or handgun variant so many times before losing their minds. Garrison and Victor were brothers, Garrison not too much older than little Victor. Lance couldn’t bring himself to separate the troublesome duo. They’ve already been through enough together, and this far they’ve had each other’s backs. In battle, that is the number one thing someone could ask for. Granted that they didn’t kill each other over a bickering about one cleaning more than the other. 

Rachel, Garrett and Surge were grouped together again. Garrett should have still been resting, but he was too energetic and restless for Cynthia to handle. She took Lance firmly by the scruff all while screaming for him to do something with that ‘irritate omega’ before she ‘puts him down’. Garrett refused to do anything other than what he’s trained his entire life to do. He wasn’t about to let one injury keep him on the bench for the rest of his life. He only needed one arm to shoot, and it wasn’t like his shoulder was blown completely off. The range of motion was limited, but it still functioned enough for him to get into trouble. Which is exactly why he’s on a simple mission today “To prove to Lance that he wasn’t a useless gimp.” 

The silence of the forest was absolutely deafening. The only resemblance of life came from the four travelers and the husk shells of dead trees that encircled them. Despite it approaching autumn, there were no leaves on the ground nor colors in the air. The ghosts of trees around them were barren and gnarled. Dry, sandy dirt muffled their steps and supported no foliage or even the slightest jot of grass. 

Surge might actually hate the sight of this more than the others. All he wanted was for the world to find a way to keep going. He wanted to help the survivors, but what use is surviving when the earth itself wasn’t going to make it? It was bad enough he was dealing with the mental torment of knowing what he is and the glaring fact that he wasn’t ever going to be normal again; Surge was facing all of this hell just so he can help a couple humans suffer for another week before the inevitable. Death of the planet? Rise of the dead? Did the ones that created this weapon actually wish for the world to turn into a self cannibalizing mob of rot, or was this a truly unseen consequence of bio-warfare? 

He didn’t even realize he had stopped walking until Rachel pulled him from his circling thoughts. Her emerald eyes edged with fear as she questioned if Surge was okay. Surge’s gut clenched when he noticed that Garrett had that handgun trained on him. The zombie was forced to gather his wits quickly, holding up his hands in surrender and giving Rachel the most apologetic look he could muster.

“Don’t scare us like that, Buddy.” Garrett chirped skeptically. His eyes never left their residential dead, yet he holstered his weapon as a show of trust..

“Sorry, Surge. It’s just… It’s rarely a good sign when a Zomb’o starts staring off into space.” Rachel smiled sheepishly while mindlessly petting the ever demanding Scritch. Surge had to allow them that much- he was just a monster after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for you continued curiosities and you patients with my fuckatry.
> 
> Rage if for the comments~


	90. Scritches : 2 : Gooseberries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tempted to take a screenshot of my editing of the document. I personally use google docs, and it comes with a super handy suggestion mode. By the time I'm done with a scene, most of the thing is green (a suggestion) with peppering of black (the original)

The familiar stream of water was a welcomed sight. Some undernourished plants managed to hold out along the edges of the banks. Anything half alive was a good sign for the survivors. The little group choreographed the plan, which was for Rachel and Garrett to watch over Scritch while Surge crossed the river. He was following upstream, only slightly disheartened by the rainbow, oily slick that never seemed to end. A couple flowers managed to bloom their brilliant colors along the sandy shore of the small river. As careful as he was to not crush the little beauties he didn’t dare stray too far from the water’s edge though, the only sound of the entire trip so far is the peaceful gurgle of bypassing water. It was a salv to a wound Surge didn’t fully realize had opened. He was drifting dangerously back into his thoughts when something crunched mutely under his foot. 

Surge found himself frozen, thrown for the second time back into reality. Green. Grass and shrubbery. Those yellow flowers were still here- not only lingering on as dying husks but thriving: even bigger than before. 

That little clustered patch of the old, abused world had spread. Instead of turning over to the radioactive elements, or dying under the foot of the straggling dead, nature has decided to fight back with more healthy grass, more foliage and bearing fruit. Edible? Hell- did that even matter? The earth wasn’t completely barren. Even after that onslaught of miasma this managed to be unbothered. Surge concluded that this had to have been a holy ground. Some witch, in some lifetime had blessed this river.

“Two things that never fade. Magic, and the scorn of a witch.” his father would always warn him. “You never know who might be a witch, they aren’t all ugly, green, and crooked.” If magic truly never fades, they may have just single handedly saved the only morsel of life left on earth. 

He stepped into the field, mentally praying for forgiveness for sullying such sacred ground with his virus. He only wanted one branch of that berry bush. It wasn’t anything he recognized, but it was the only thing that resembled food from what he could see. If the land would grant him that much- he could bring back the offering to the survivors. Even if they could eat it, there was nowhere near enough to support the whole settlement. Relentlessly there was hope, because something had survived. 

____________________

Scritch was being a thorough bred traitor when Surge returned within sight of the group. Rachel and Garrett were both playing with the zombie using a dried out branch. In a past life the dog must have been taught fetch by some over enthusiastic child. Now it has two very overgrown yet equally enthusiastic childish fighters to play with. As if he knew he was caught, Scritch bolted across the river to greet Surge. He yipped happily, bouncing more like a deer than a dog. Surge even had hoist the branch in his grasp above his head.

Scritch wanted to play fetch- and he wanted it now. 

“Sorry, but we had to do something to stop him from drinking that water.” Garrett explained with a nervous chuckle. “We didn’t think it would cause you any trouble.”

"You actually found something?" Rachel beamed from the riverside. Their zombies waded across the oil slick water, Scritch ever adamant that he's going to get the stick. 

"Are those Gooseberries?!" Rachel squealed, her smile nearly splitting her cheeks. "I haven't seen those in years!"

"How many are over there? Do you think there would be enough for Lance’s appetite?" Garrett reached for the plump little fruit. Surge shrugged while trying to figure out how to explain that the green patch has gotten bigger. He could wait till he gets back to camp- the little doodle of his on the map was probably still there, he could draw a bigger circle. 

"How many bushes are there?" Garrett stole another berry from Rachel. The two were "sampling" the harvest. Surge shrugged, looking over his hands... fuck. When did he lose his right middle finger? Rachel caught the look in their resident's eyes. She whimpered under her breath, taking the abused hand in hers. 

"If this is getting too much for you, you don't have to risk yourself by coming out." Her voice was soft, something that he would have heard from his mother. Surge tried to shake himself out of the self-pity that was eating away at his sanity. He shot the two survivors a devilish look and crooked both his tri-fingered hands like raptor claws. Mental sound effects- of course. He earned a little chuckle out of the two at least. 

“Lance is gonna be so stoked!” Garrett bounced in place, rivaling only Scritch’s energy level. 

“Hopefully this means the others found something too.” Rachel agreed, already trying to gather up their small stash of supplies. “Night fall is curfew, remember?” 

“Yeah, yeah. I don’t need another night sleeping with a lizard.” Garrett whined, turning to Surge. “You would be my advocate, right?”

Surge tipped his head in question.

“Like… every time Lance ‘deems it worthy’ my punishment is putting up with some scaley, slimey, cold, reptile mother fucker.” Garrett was waving his arms like some desperate flightless bird. “I don’t. I just fucking don’t. Lizards, snakes, frogs, salamanders, I don’t care. They’re the source of the zombie virus if you ask me. We let them live for too long- now look at us!” 

“You do realize that a frog isn’t going to kill you, right?” Rachel couldn’t stop her giggling.

“Zombies. Meet Exhibit A.” -pointing at Scritch- “and Exhibit B” -pointing at Surge. Wait, why was Surge “B”? He raised a questioning brow at the hyper omega. Garrett looked oblivious to the whole accusation. In fact, he was too busy scratching the dog behind the ears. 

Looks like Surge’s ranking of “Pet” has just been single handedly dethroned. Not exactly something one should do to their prospective “advocate.”

____________________

They stood in the center yard. Most of the groups have returned and practically all of them had some kind of plant in hand. A particularly animated squad had run back to town with arms full of leafy, wild white carrots. One pond wouldn’t have enough to support the settlement, but between the seven groups that have returned there was enough for the season at minimum. 

“We need bushels so we can go get this stuff!” a soldier howled. 

“Do you think we can clarify the water?” another voice.

“Maybe it’ll help our fields grow!”

Lance was hunched on the low stage, lending most of the attention to the heros that went out to scout. 

“We’re still waitin’ on two squads.” His dark voice admitted to one near him. “They both went West. If they aren’t here by sunset- I’m going out.” 

“By yourself again, Sir?” the man was well built from seeing many years of service, but even he would never dream of doing half the things Lance assigned himself.

“I’m still alive, aren’t I?” Lance barked a short laugh. “I’d rather die knowing I tried than live not knowing what happen to my men.” the broad soldier stood his towering height. 

“Going to the wall?” his buddy tipped his head to the crowd, “Everyone’s gonna be lookin’ for you.” 

“I’ll be back soon enough, even sooner if everyone gets back on their own.” Lance smiled, giving the other a thumbs up before stepping off the ledge with a solid thump. 

____________________

Lance watched the horizon closely. Shapes were starting to emerge, but none of them were familiar forms. The dead were starting to stir all over again. His worry for his squads was growing every moment. The sun was disappearing behind the horizon- any longer, and their nights are about to get much more complicated. Six unaccounted for: Lance had his work cut out for him. 

He gazed over the optimistic civilization before stepping off the edge of the wall. He shifted as he fell, morphing into a beast as he bolted into the forest line. He’s done this before, many times. Whenever they didn’t come back in time, he bulldozed head longed into the thick of the wilderness to drag them back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it bad that I don't remember where I left off before I deleted the line? I know this is nothing new to the progression, maybe one more day of boring-ness before actual new stuff? 
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosities!   
> Feel free to rage in the comments, it's the best way for me to know what to focus on to improve.


	91. Scritches : 3 : Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might actually be the first line to actually have an ending. I don't know where I would be going after this chunk...
> 
> That's okay. 
> 
> There are plenty of other lines that I need to work on, plus ones I have in mind that I haven't even started yet.

Mumbling, shuffling corpses that had the misfortune of being in the soldier’s path died quick. Lance’s palms crushed the brittle skulls easily, any that managed to get a hold onto the beastly fighter lost limbs before collapsing to the dirt floor. 

He was heading for Emmett’s squad first, he had those two trainees with him. This wasn’t supposed to be a difficult mission- something must have happen. Hopefully they didn’t come across another settlement’s men. There was a fort about ten minutes west that they had problems with before. Had they traveled too far into enemy territory? They were just going to check out some resources- who's to say they wouldn’t do the exact same thing.

Lance leaned on a low boulder that overlooked the oil slick river the squad was supposed to be checking. There weren’t any sounds of voices, not of the living anyway. The earth was upturned as if there was a scuffle. Mangled bodies were left on the bank,most of which already highly decayed. The iron sting of blood saturated the air. He let his red gaze study the perimeter of the battlefield. No shells were among the dirt, so no guns were used in this fight. Maybe it wasn’t his people? Nothing seemed useful here, perhaps they got further up the river. 

The soldier’s weight crushed the moist earth under his feet, each step sank into the ground up to his ankles. His knuckles dragged along the mess if he didn’t remember to keep his arms bent. His alpha shift was more bear monster than average alphas tended to have. All of his comrades had this kind of shift in the war. They are more than capable of handling himself out here. 

While traveling slightly north from following the against tide, shouting reached Lance’s hearing. Emmett was fully shifted, standing just a few inches shorter than the beastly Lance. Blood was splattered on Em’s forearms and soaked into his claws. He’s clearly been tearing into the infringing hoards. 

Emmett roared ferally, earning a guttural response from Lance. The exasperated soldier eased at the sight of his Sergeant. Lance stalked the edges of the clearing, finding the corpses of crushed zombies littering the ground. 

“Thank god you’re here.” Em grunted, not even attempting to reign in his shift. “Garrison’s dead.” 

“Where’s Vic?” Lance looked over his wounded friend. Victor was nowhere to be seen. Em swiveled his dicolored eyes dis-trustingly over the recently re-dead. 

“I couldn’t move him by myself. The kid’s in rough shape, I’ve been ripping these fucks in half trying to protect him.” Em lurched to the right suddenly. He waved for Lance to approach a tree he had completely disregarded. Vic had kept himself amazingly silent. His left side was wedged under harsh, splintered bark. His face was scratched up, his eyes were blown uneven, his only free hand clamped over his mouth to smother his wheezing breath.

“Hey kid.” Lance knelt by the trapped fledgling, “Try to relax, kid. We’re getting you out of here.” 

“You get that side?” Em moved to pry his claws under the tree.

“Just pull him out of the way, I got this.” Lance jerked his head to the side, counting quickly before lurching the trunk onto his shoulder. Victor screamed from the sudden release. His wounds were ripped open all at once, only to be dragged from his resting spot. Comparatively, Victor looked like an omega when next to the two warmongers that were dotting over him. 

“Let’s get back to camp.” Emmett had the fledgling’s wounds under firm holds, “You tear us a path and I’ll run straight through.” He was trying to stifle the bleeding before could even try to move the wounded youth.

“There’s another squad I need to find yet.” Lance growled, “Think you’ve got this?”

“Yeah.” Em grunted after a long thought. He didn’t believe his own words, but he couldn’t take Lance from his self inflicted duties. “ I’ll get us home.” Em nodded, the scars and attempt at cover tattoos on the right side of his face and shoulder still prevalent even in shift. 

____________________

Lance traveled in a dead sprint. His muscles screaming at him to stop- take a break. It’s near midnight now and he hasn’t located Rick’s squad. Had they gotten turned around? Were they lost somewhere in this abyss? Had that rival group resurfaced? If they were hostages, or worse murdered, wouldn’t he have come across the remnants of a struggle, or their bodies? 

He felt filthy, the blood and bile of zombies coated his calloused skin. He’s covered more land than one man should be expected to. Branches crunched helplessly under the beast’s haunches as Lance finally succumbed to his body’s cries by falling to his knees. Breathing rattled his ribs as his heart pounded in his ears. Where were these punks?

The sun was starting to streak the sky in beautiful colors. Still no sign of them. Lance was beyond frustrated with himself. He was miles from the settlement. He might be back by noon if he found the will to force his body into another sprint. Exhaustion was trying to claim him. He wanted to scream, but he didn’t have enough air in his lungs. Lance was still fully, ferally shifted: if he slips back to his other form even for a second, his body was going to collapse. He would be easy prey for anything wandering in these parts. 

Get up, he growled in to himself. The words almost leaking from his lips. Get up, you lazy piece of shit. His legs shook under him, his clawed hands gripped into the gravel heavy dirt as he pressed himself up. Lance didn’t have time for this. If he was going to roll over and give up- he could head back towards the settlement. Just keep pushing until he gets within the walls. Then he could collapse. 

It would be okay to rest there. Other than that- Lance was going to continue to press himself past his limits. He’s lost an entire squad, he can’t find one of his best friends. Searching for Rick until the point of death would be his punishment. 

Lance knew he was in trouble when his vision began to swim. He had made it closer to the settlement… he thinks. Things were starting to look more familiar, but every nook he saw his feral mind was wanting for him to crawl into it and just rest. This was his punishment for being so reckless with the ones that trusted him as a leader. What would make him think he could take on a roll built for Seth? 

Seth left. He abandoned the people with little more than an farewell and a promise that this is for the good of the people. He had trauma from war- but who fucking didn’t? Lance had given him the third degree for just giving up on himself that easily. Seth was a great leader, is a great leader. His excuse for stepping down was so that he doesn’t accidentally hurt anyone. 

Seth has no faith in himself. If Lance gets out of this alive- he’s making it a point to hunt down that commander and giving him another piece of his mind. 

The afternoon sun was scorching, even more so with the lack of tree cover forests normally offer. Lance wasn’t running anymore, hell, he was barely even walking. He would have made it back home by noon if he had only managed to keep running. That is also assuming he went the right direction. Exhaustion is a cruel mistress as she burned holes straight through his focus, his memory had already been ravaged. 

Maybe that punk had a point of being suspicious about Lance taking this on himself. Hell… What was that punk’s name? Voices were around him- buzzing nervously. As soon as they could, multiple hands were on him, pulling. They were pressing him down onto the dry, sandy forest floor, even that felt like a sanctuary. The sun was high and hot as it burned into his sweat laden back, Lance was convinced his face was burned to the point of blisters. 

“God’s fuck, man. Where in the seven hells did you go?” a voice hissed, pale broad shoulders swayed as he sauntered over to the scene.

“Lookin’ for you, you piece of shit.” Lance managed to harden his voice- it took every ounce of breath he had. 

“All three of us are fine- just got slowed down from us trying to carry back what we found.” Rick tsked as he finally got a good look a his sergeant. “Why don’t you downgrade and I’ve got you from here?”

“Least’ you can do, you late sons of bitches.” It wasn’t that Lance voluntarily retreated to his normal shift. He had been running the entire night, killing all along the way. He couldn’t stand any more if his life depended on it- thankfully he made it. His life would have ended if he gave out just ten minutes before. 

“That kid, Victor, is if rough shape. He’s gonna make it, but whether or not he walks again is still in the air.” Rick reported as he had one of Lance’s arms slung over his shoulder. Lance was practically being dragged, but he didn’t even care. He didn’t have to exert anymore effort. Rick wasn’t exactly the gentle handed maiden- but Lance had enough trust that he won’t be dropped face first in the middle of the wilderness floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. as a hypothetical, I probably won't have this timed to be a perfect 100 chapter thing.   
> A or B  
> A: I just finish off this line and whatever chapter it ends on I'll start a new "Book" in this "Series". and pick up where I left off there. 
> 
> B: I finish off this story, and using whatever chapters are left between the ending and number 100 I just post "Deleted scenes" and or "one shots" of scenes that just don't fit in. 
> 
> I'll let you guys think on that one, because I'm not going over 100 chapters per book, I'm not stopping writing, I'll just be creating a series. 
> 
> Thank you for putting up with my ramblings!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	92. Scritches : 4 : Snap Trap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I just pressed the wrong button. thus an early update was born...  
> fuck it- merry whateverness, this is now up and live a night early.
> 
>  
> 
> Where I originally wanted to cut this, it would have been far too short. But now it's a bit too long.
> 
> I can't get this update size thing right can I?
> 
>  
> 
> side note that probably contains a spoiler. Seth is pronounced "Set" in where he is from (Mesopotamia) . In my mind, that's how he would introduce himself and with any luck anyone with enough respect for him will say his name that way. 
> 
> or we can just continue on like this argument doesn't exist.

Surge didn’t rest well when he knew that Lance had gone out alone. Even less so when Rick returned, only to turn on his heel and bolt back into the wilds. Surge understood why the soldiers had torn like an animal into the forest line when Emmett returned with the bleeding comrade draped over his shoulder. 

The zombie was currently standing vigilant over the distressing alpha. Vic’s left side was currently being worked on. Cynthia had the trembling arm under her palms. Her red puffy eyes studying the torn flesh. She’s tried multiple times to straighten out the bone- it was proving difficult, and he was quickly burning through any painkiller she had to give him. 

“Would you mind getting another cold cloth?” Cynthia’s voice quaked, it was one of the only signs that she was actually getting frustrated. Surge stood with a nod, there were buckets of the valuable resource in the corner of the room. Medical care was one of the few things that was held in the regards of, “if we have it, they get it.” Doesn’t mean there’s enough.

Victor whined long and low, he was trying to stay still, but the effort was becoming too much for him. Cynthia whispered something under her breath as Victor’s teeth shifted into fangs, his feral voice cracking into a scream. Surge tried to smooth the cloth across the alpha’s bruised chest. He was missing too many fingers to do it properly.

“He’s going to drop.” Cynthia warned lowly, “I’m going to wrap this best I can and go find a couple omegas.” Drop? Wasn’t that an omega thing? Surge stood stock still, unsure if he misread the fledgling’s dynamic. It was bad enough that he had lost his brother just a few hours ago, now he was about to deal with something his dynamic decided to throw at him. 

Cynthia kept her word, within a few moments she was jogging out the doorway. Surge realized that he couldn’t smell. He had assumed that the kid was an alpha because of how they were treating him, but traditional customs have gone down the drain with the death of society. An omega treated like the soldier he worked to be shouldn’t be as surprising to see as it was. Cynthia hadn’t used that collarbone’s bundle the entire time she’s been working with him. It would help a drop, wouldn’t it? It would have helped his pain too. Cynthia must not have been thinking clearly.

The zombie shuffled forward, Vic had a glassy, hollow look in his eyes. That alone scared Surge more than anything. Victor was already falling into the drop, the zombie didn’t have a voice or a scent to help him up. Hell, the only scent Surge probably had was rot… He can’t smell, fuck… What if he does stink?  
He forced himself to push those thoughts out of his head. Now is not the time to suddenly become self conscious. Instead, Surge tried to fish out the bundle, his worn fingers feeling along the strained flesh. 

“It’s okay, buddy.” Vic whined though grit teeth. There was no bundle. He was an alpha. How is he dropping than? Surge’s mind was reeling, his gurgling breaths rasping with unspeakable confusion.

Cynthia and four others piled into the room. The new omegas circled the bed, each one cooing under their breaths.

“You don’t need to bother with me.” Victor forced the words out of his mouth. 

“Come on, Sweetie, it’s okay.” a woman batted her lashes, “You’ve been through a lot, let us help.” The alpha whined again, throwing himself up onto his feet. He was trying to get anyway. His left leg didn’t react the way he was hoping. A tall male omega managed to catch the alpha’s collapsing form. Victor’s eyes were rolling to the back of his head as he succumbed to the drop. 

Surge felt out of place, he’s never seen an alpha drop before, much less did he have a clue of what to do to help. The group of omegas were swarmed around him now. Cynthia worked on his freshly displaced leg as the others coddled him. 

Surge just stood there, unsure.

____________________

Garrett greeted Surge as he was leaving the medical building. He looked worn out as well, but he walked with a fresh pep.

“Lance made it back, he’s sleeping now- probably be down for the next week to be honest.” the omega chirped, he seemed happy that the leader had returned more than anything. Surge nodded his understanding, questions circling in his head over what he had just witnessed. 

“How’s the kid doing in there? Do you think they need me to help?” Garrett tipped his head to the door Surge just walked out from. The zombie shrugged his shoulders, nerves on edge as he watched Scritch roll to his back for a belly rub from a toddler. 

“You look a little green about it,” Garrett sighed, “Have you ever seen an alpha go down before?” Surge took hold of the omega’s arm, his eyes begging for him to explain.

“I take that as a you have no idea what just happened?” Garrett smiled lopsidedly. “It’s rare- sure. But some alphas can drop just like omegas, just like how some omegas just don’t have as easily manipulated instincts as others. I’m not that lucky, I mistake something for a command and I’m a shaking fucking mess.” the little omega snorted a laugh. “I’m just lucky to have buddies that don’t use it against me all the fucking time.” 

Surge patted the omega’s shoulder, a whine wanting to wheeze from his throat. He’s seen omegas in rough spots, even before the end of the world. After the nuke- this settlement was practically a sanctuary for the lower dynamic. 

“I’m good,” Gar hugged against the zombie’s side. “We’re good here.” 

____________________

“Hey, Surge.” Lance bounced energetically from his station. “Wanna go out on an errand with me?” Surge shrugged, tipping his head curiously. 

“It’s nothing big, just running down to the edge of our territory, check out the fencing we put up the other week.” Lance nodded toward the lumpy duffle bag in the dirt by the wall. “Everyone else has been having fun with you, I want my turn too, you know.”

Surge playfully shoved Lance’s giant frame, the muscle bound fighter barked a laugh. The zombie never realized how short he was compared to Lance. He wasn’t exactly a full grown adult, sure, but Surge came up to Lance’s elbow. How tall was the guy? Seven feet? Was he partly shifted? His eyes were a warm brown, not a murderous red. His pearly smile was perfectly straight except for his accented canines. If he was partly shifted, he was able to look the part of a pacifist remarkably well. 

“What do you say?” Lance called over his shoulder, stooping to throw the metal laden pack onto his shoulder. Surge nodded, patting his side to earn Scritch’s attention.

“Oh, he can stay here.” Lance waved, “He’s keeping the pups busy, we have half a mind to put him on the payroll for all his babysitting.” 

____________________

Lance and Surge walked side by side along the decrepit fencing. Apparently they had just put it up last week, but with the minimal supplies they had to work with, the thing already looked decades old. Lance nodded towards a fallen board, dropping the sack to the ground as he paced to lift the thing back into place. Surge paced a little further down the path, his sight studying for any breaches. 

Something looped around Surge’s ankle, pulling his feet out from under him. His side hit the ground hard, he could have sworn he heard a solid crack of something in him when he landed. Lance barked his shock. Heavy feet thundered over the earth, Lance’s giant, clawed hands braced Surge’s dazed head. Lance was talking, not that the zombie could gather anything that was being said to him. 

His heart lept into his throat when that trap went off. It was a simple spring trap, used for medium sized game. Surge was the perfect size. Lance let what he was working on crash back to the dust at his feet as he scanned the trail where his friend had wandered. The tree couldn’t hold up Surge’s weight, but the backlash was just strong enough to snap the zombie against the rocks. 

Surge looked like he was in a daze. Lance carefully rolled the limp zombie onto is side, noting the deep gash that was now across Surge’s temple. 

“Buddy?” Lance hissed between his teeth, cursing himself for bringing the fragil ally out this far. He should have been able to protect Surge! Instead, he just killed the sweet little guy. 

“It’s okay, Bud, don’t try to get up.” Lance hushed, half relieved, half terrified that Surge was floundering in slow motion on the rocky ground. Lance was thrown into a shift from the panic that pulsed his veins. Alpha took absolute care to not further injure Surge as he looked over the zombie with clawed hands. 

“Stay still. It’s okay- let me see.” Lance explained in a rushed tone as he narrowed his sight on that head injury. Surge couldn’t heal, and Lance knows a knock like this would take down a full strength alpha. 

“Did I get one of your guys?” A voice sang over the silence of the wilderness. Lance cut his sight to the vibrant purple eyes of a vaguely familiar face. 

“Why the fuck do you have traps along the walking path?” Lance snarled, ready to tear the stranger in half if he comes too close. The slender alpha stopped his advancements with his head tilted in a smirk. He was balanced on the ball of one of his feet.

“Looks like I wasn’t the only one in the market for zombie pets.” the stranger winked, pulling out a knife and twirling it until he held it by the point between two fingers. “Need to cut it free?” 

“What’s going on over here?” that voice Lance recognized instantly. His muscles twitched to stand in attention, but the lightweight of Surge’s head worked as an anchor keeping him crouched. 

“Something walked into my tripwire.” the stranger called back. Seth was every ounce of monster Lance remembered him to be. His head was still shaven clean, his eyes were a hardened coal, Seth’s entire frame was the walking epitome of power. 

“You’re setting them too close to the settlement, Sevie.” Seth chastised, plucking the knife out of the other alpha’s grasp. ‘Sevie’ let out an indignant snort, chasing the towering alpha with a scowl that was left fully disregarded.

“One of your men, Lance?” Seth looked over his Sergeant. 

“Commander.” Lance choked, “You’re still out here.” 

“Yeah, I told you where I would be.” Seth shook his head with half a chuckle. “God, no matter how old you get, Kid. You’re still shit at listening.” 

“This is Surge. He’s a zombie- but he still has his wits about him.” Lance quickly changed the subject, totally to get Surge the help he needed and not to just get the attention off of his own stupidity.

“So, it drank the proverbial Koolaid.” Severian whistled, “Not enough apparently, it’s missing quite a few bits.”

“You know why he’s still… not mindless?” Lance grasped for words, the madman that Seth seemed so relaxed around only giggled to himself.

“The bioweapon was a success.” Severian pointed out. Lance dropped his shoulders with a snarl. He had to figure out how to help Surge, and quickly. He didn’t have time for this kind of rambling.

“You know. The weapons of the biological kind are only considered a success if they can develop a cure for the said weapon.” Sev continued to ramble. So there was a cure? Great. How the actual fuck are they supposed to get a hold of something that could probably only be made in a pristine lab?

“Come, I have some Koolaid for your little pet.” Sevie clapped twice before proceeding to wrap his arms around Seth’s very defined bicep.

“You’ll be able to make it back to your wall before sunset.” Seth shrugged. “It’ll be nice to see you for a little again, Little Lance.” 

Lance took Surge in his arms. He was trying to focus on keeping the fragile body steady, and not on how still the zombie had become. Didn’t Surge use to breathe? Was he gone for good now? 

Lance found himself praying to a god he hated that Surge was going to be okay. He couldn’t bear the guilt of getting the little guy killed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosities of my rambling~
> 
> Feel free to rage in the comments!


	93. Scritches : 5 : Seth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day another chapter. 
> 
> HAPPY GOBBLERDAY TO ALL THAT CELEBRATE IT!
> 
> This is a purely selfish chapter, mind you.

“How are things going over in the sanctuary?” Seth held the cabin’s door open for his Sergeant. The home was settled on a plot of multiple buildings. Most of the other structures looking like barns or sheds. 

“It’s hard when mother nature wants you dead.” Lance snorted his weakness. He stood like a lost child with Surge in his arms. He was waiting for direction from his commander. He was in Seth’s territory now. 

“You have your zambie babies muzzled? Why didn’t I think of that- it doesn’t try to take it off?” Severian studied Surge curiously. “Why are you so protective of this one- if you haven’t noticed, they aren’t in short supply.” 

“Severian.” Seth’s voice growled, the purple man tipped his head with a smirk. 

“I have all of the questions, okay?” Sev bounced between the balls of his feet once again. “I’ve been experimenting with the Rabies Babies forever, you know.”

“This is a branch of Rabies?” Lance’s voice hitched, “How could you even know?”

“We made a lot of enemies in the war, Sweet cheeks. They dropped the bomb on us as a way to deal with the problem, no one’s comin’ to save us. Just like what we did to Japan- twice mind you.” Severian was talking as he walked around the cozy cabin, his sight sweeping in a low cupboard. 

“The rest of the world is fine?” Lance stuttered, his grip on Surge tightening.

“Yeah, I also may or may not have had a direct play in the reasons why the world hates us so much.” Sev procured a vile of a glossy oil. “Would you mind de-muzzling your beast?” 

“Severian’s the reason I left the settlement. Sure. I barely trust myself- but he doesn’t even pretend to be sane.” Seth explained lowly, still studying the other alpha’s every move. A notion that seemed to annoy the violet alpha more than anything.

“You said I could only test on the Rabies Babies, and I haven’t completely broken that rule.” Sev quipped, a scowl deforming his otherwise pretty face. 

“Completely?” Seth caught the little slip. Severian’s shoulders shot up defensively, his eyes widening. The guiltiest smile either of the beastly alphas has ever seen flashed up at Seth. 

“You had a trap in the walkway.” Lance growled. 

“You never said they had to BE zombies when I catch them. Have you ever tried moving something that was actively trying to eat your face?!” Sev explained quickly. Seth’s growl filled the air, his dark eyes starting to show the stain of red. 

“Are you going to pin me down and mate me in front of your Sergeant, or are you going to let me do the thing?” Sev again spoke quickly, waving the vile in Seth’s vision. 

Lance, not given any other direction, knelt where he stood. He carefully unfastened Surge’s mask and barely bit against his own bile when he pulled the sickly thing from the rotting jaw. 

“Honey-pop really is missing a lot of bits isn’t it?” Severian prodded the green tinged, ashing flesh. “Was it an alpha?” Lance’s throat was dry, he didn’t know. Surge acted like an omega at some points, but also like an alpha at others. It wasn’t even something that they thought was important enough to ask of him.

He was just sweet little Surge. 

“I’m taking silence as a fifty-fifty?” Sev impatiently bantered, “I wanna try a thing, all the experiments thus far show that it only works for alphas. So, fifty-fifty’s gonna be our odds eh?” 

“Isn’t he suppose to be breathing?” Lance was shocked by how broken his voice was. He earned a sympathetic look from Seth, but Severian let out a groan.

“Some do, some don’t. They’re dead, does it really matter?” Severian walked brazenly up to Seth, holding out his palm expectantly. 

“What?” Seth grunted, still seething with the promise of a pending punishment.

“I wanna try the thing, I need my knife.” The purple alpha rolled his eyes. “ ‘Less you wanna have him continuing on without a jaw or front half of his throat.” 

____________________

Severian returned to the cabin with a freshly decapitated zombie head. He held the skull by the hair as he knelt by the deathly still Surge. 

“Bout the right size, don’t you think?” Sev tipped his vision, as if he was an artist trying to critique a sculpture. 

“You’re not…” Lance choked, the sadistic look in Severian’s eye made the soldier understand why Seth left the settlement. 

“It’s already dead, what harm can come of a little play?” He wedged his filthy knife against the joint of the decapitated head, cutting and stretching sinew of the slack jaw unceremoniously. He was in the process of an impromptu transplant.

____________________

Lance couldn’t handle the sight. He stood on shaking limbs and excused himself from the cramped cabin. Surge, by all logic, was dead. Gone. The little buddy wouldn’t be coming back with him to the sanctuary. How was Lance going to face everyone with this kind of news? 

This was Sergeant Dominant Alpha Lance, the one everyone looked up to for leadership and protection. He couldn’t even protect a single, vulnerable, innocent kid. One that has risked himself numerous times to save survivors. Lance couldn’t even return the favor once for the kid. 

A growl wanted to erupt from his chest, a frustrated sound that echoed hauntingly in his thoughts. Severian was a fucking madman, and Seth was blinded by who Severian might have been once upon a time. 

Lance has heard the story- hell, he was there when Seth first returned with the near dead man bundled in his beastly arms. The very feral Seth was just returning from a scouting mission that went sideways in the Snowlands of Canada. Seth would never admit it, but he was the reason it went sideways. He was running a solo mission, just to gather intel to better allocate the resources they had to infiltrate. 

Then Seth saw what was becoming of Severian. The purple man was a person of interest for a long time: Seth himself has had more than a few encounters with the lithe alpha during his undercover work. His only response to questions was the same line over and over. 

“They’re killing him, worse than a slaughterhouse. We need to get him out.” 

That day the abused alpha’s number was up, they were progressing with crushing the man’s legs with irons and letting him drown in the icing pond. Seth got him out of there, but Severian’s programming from that place never fully broke. He’s still a sadistic fuck out of self preservation. If he didn’t find a way to break the ones around him- he was the one being broken. Severian’s still lithe, but the only thing that stayed consistent on the man from that day to this moment was his violet eyes. Lance barely even recognized him.

____________________

“You’ll be able to take Surge back with you, it’s gonna take some time for it to take effect.” Seth occupied most of the door’s space. Lance didn’t want to leave the kid alone with the madman, but he was being forced to trust any help he could get. 

“You think he’s going to pull through?” Lance had his hands fisted at his sides. The sun was starting to fall, he would have to start heading back soon. 

“I’ve seen z’s pull back from worse.” Seth tipped his head. “Hey.” The sergeant’s jaw clicked as he looked over his commander, half wishing the guy would just come back. Things were easier when his mind was available. 

“How’s your guys? I must have scared them good- woke up with a new collection of bullets in my chest.” Seth chuckled to himself. 

“We fought you?” Lance’s voice hitched again. He searched his memory for an incident that might have involved Seth. 

“Well. I wasn’t exactly in my right mind, another reason I left.” the giant alpha shrugged. “Look, Sevie came running into the bedroom saying that a test subject had escaped. The rest is history.” 

“Test subject?” Lance was very aware of all the buildings around them- what was happening here?

“Turns out the ‘subject’ was one of the first zombies Sevie cured, by accident.” Seth pointed towards the barnyard. “The thing pissed him off, so he was going to see what radiation did to the z. Ended up fixing him.”

“Missing a leg?” the pieces were starting to fall into place.

“Yeah, many of them are- you’d have to ask Sevie why. Look. I didn’t mean to scare the guys like that. Do I even need to remind you of B113?” Seth was looking to his friend for some kind of understanding. Lance shivered at the memory. Yeah, they don’t exactly have a good record with escapees. 

“Did you know the thing has a gun?!” Severian held the metal up in the air as he bounced onto the porch with the other two. Seth promptly gripped Severian’s wrist.

“What? I didn’t even get the chance to check if it was loaded.” The purple alpha whined like a child, his voice eventually hitching in a wince as Seth viced his crushing grip.

“You’re not trusted with a gun.” Seth growled, his eyes burning into the smaller alpha. 

“And… the dead is?” He spat back. Seth’s grip only tightened, winching a deflating whine out of the smaller. The metal thumped loudly onto the decaying wood floor. 

“Knife.” Seth barked, releasing his grasp and planting a foot over top of the abandoned gun. Severian rolled his eyes, rubbing at his bruising forearm. 

“Now.” the dangerous growl even made Lance flinch. Severian proceeded to mock Seth’s tone, lifting the elaborate blade to the alpha’s view.

____________________

Surge was dead weight in Lance’s arms. The sky was swirling in reds by the time he stepped foot back in familiar territory. Everyone had their eyes glued to the alpha. Lance’s jaw was locked as he desperately tried to escape every moment of eye contact. The mask was back on Surge- now serving to hold that foreign bone onto his face. Severian explained that when he wakes up, to tell him to shift as soon as possible. 

If he wakes up, if he can shift. 

Lance brought the kid back to Surge’s room. He has since been moved out of the storage shed and given a proper place. The kid always kept it perfectly clean. It was even a wonder if he actually used the room. The bed was always made with the blanket’s pulled taut, every bit of supply he had in there with him had its own place and was never even off center in its shelf. 

Scritch was in tow, his snoot nosing against Surge’s side incessantly. Lance had to consider locking the dog out of the room once he placed the kid on the bed. Even Seth said this was going to take some time. The dog jumped onto the bed, sniffing all along Surge’s body. Lance lent a hand to scratch the zombie’s head, earning a whimper from the moose of a dog.

“We’re all worried, Bud.” Lance smiled down at the panting pooch. His green swamp eyes flickering around the room, always landing back onto Surge. A soft knock echoed from the ajar doorway. Garrett peaked around with a frown creasing his brow. 

“What the hell happened out there?” he rushed, his worry swollen eyes raking over the motionless zombie. 

“Someone set a trap- Surge got caught in it.” Lance hissed, tipping Surge’s head so that Garrett could see the gash. 

“Holy shit.” the omega’s movements faltered. He started to stutter over the possibilities of what to do. The more he rambled, the more it sunk in that Surge probably wasn’t going to get up.

“He was given something, its suppose to help.” Lance forced himself to turn away, draping his arm around Garrett as he walked. “Let’s give him some time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so. yeah. Seth is the only character other than Geo that has been killed twice and is still alive.  
> also, their monstrous shifting is actually cannon in their original stories. Garrett is suppose to be able to shift as well- he's just been roped in as an omega for some reason -thank you brain- and for the sake of consistency, he's stuck being little Garrett. 
> 
> B113 they are referencing is also part of their cannon, he's a personal nightmare of mine because he's the personification of one of the biology classes I had to take. Molecular Biology. Mind you I do have my associate now, focusing in biology and organic chemistry (I'm geeking out over here don't mind me) but 113 took me three tries to get through, I didn't need to repeat any other of my classes, including the calculus and psychology courses. 
> 
> I'm done rambling for now.
> 
> Thank you for your curiosities!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	94. Scritches : 6 : Survivor's Syndrome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :Warning:  
> Suicidal themes  
> Depression

Screaming made everyone’s blood run cold. Lance vaulted over the banister of the staircase to find the source of the panic. He nearly ran into Emmett, who was beating Lance to the room, as they wedged themselves through the unsuspecting doorway. 

A sweet omega, Shelly, had her back to the far wall. Her eyes wide with fear as her thin frame trembled. Surge was on the ground, hunched over like a beast. His hands clawed at his mask, his entire body was riddled with pale scars where he was once torn to bits. 

“Buddy?” Em tried, lowering himself to the zombie’s sight. “Surge, It’s okay- you’re home, Bud.” 

“Surge, can you shift? If you can, I need you to. Right now.” Lance explained slowly. The zombie looked incredulously up at the towering alpha, confusion swamping his mind. 

____________________

All Surge knew was pain. The room around him swam in his foggy sight. He felt every wound he had ever acquired right then and there. Nerves died, flesh rotted- the pain would stop after a while. Now his body was alight with renewed fury. He thrashed, suspecting he was actually on fire. Had someone found him other than the settlement? Rekilling the dead. Burning the monster. He didn’t even register that the screaming was coming from his own throat. 

Voices were around him, or was that his own thoughts screaming and echoing back and forth in his skull. A hand gripped his hair, fire of pain roared over his scalp as his face was lifted. Dark eyes were fixated on his, the wide nose, dark skin with even darker fleckles speckling his left cheek. Lance.

Why was Lance hurting him?

Surge couldn’t remember anything past going out with the Alpha. He was going to check the fences. After that he was drawing a complete blank. Did he attack someone? Did he become a murderer?

“Shift.” Lance barked impatiently. Surge looked him over, fear reflooding his senses. Did Lance learn that Surge wasn’t an omega? Was that why he was angry?

Surge wasn’t an omega ready for a harem: but there were many alphas around. Omegas weren’t even treated like property here. Why would that make a difference?  
He couldn’t shift. He was a zombie- he was dead!

He braced himself for an attack, mentally willing that familiar wave of adrenaline. That burst of hormones and electricity that is all engulfing. Surge could try to shift, one more time. Maybe he had when he blacked out? Did he turn into a blood crazed beast in his mental lapse? 

Through the pain he felt bones popping under his skin. Lance released his hair, instead moving to remove the mask that was growing far too tight around his face. He found himself shaking, shivering violently under suddenly far too cold air. Voices were around him, much louder now than they were before. 

He braved to open his eyes, claws dug into the wooden floors beneath him… His claws? Familiar, nearly forgotten, lengthened digits with discolored nails were where his hand should have been. Pale scars littered his arms and hands, everywhere a cut or a tear had been. His sight was sharper. Still blind in his right eye- but his left was crystal clear now. 

He licked his lips. Taste was foreign. Having a tongue and lips was foreign, let alone… how did he get them? What the fuck happened while he was out? He whined, long and keening. His own heart stuttering when he could hear his own voice once again. 

“Dolor…. Duele.” He whimpered more to himself than anything. Still in shock he was able to form any sound at all. The gravel of a shift almost sounded normal, maybe. Maybe for once he actually prayed hard enough- and was finally waking up from that nightmare. He raised his sight, finding Lance hadn’t moved from where he had been crouched. Surge had one bright red iris, his other was still fogged over and useless. Surge let out a stuttering cry, relief overcame the sentinel alpha’s scent as Surge was pulled into a tight hug.

Surge could smell his scent. 

“Que...por que?” he tried to not panic, he wasn’t in trouble.

“Are you in pain?” Emmett startled the smaller alpha, Surge didn’t realize that there was a small crowd in the room with him. He had only noticed Lance. Surge nodded, not use to being able to speak. 

“Drink this. It’ll help.” Lance shifted to the side, reaching for something on the nightstand. Pearlescent fluid was in a tightly sealed vial. It looked so much like the contamination in the rivers that if someone told Surge that it was the same thing- he would believe them. The thing tasted like absolute shit, but even if it killed him it would mean the pain would stop. 

“Let’s get you up onto the bed.” Rick waved to motivate Lance. The pale figure had his waist long black hair neatly in a tail at the base of his neck. His golden eyes studying Surge’s every expression. 

____________________

Sergio was naked, laying flat on the mattress that he had been given. He regressed back to his normal, teenage form when he fell asleep. As promised, the pain had dulled. He was so exhausted that he didn’t pay any mind to Cynthia as she was looking him over for the hundredth time. 

____________________

Surge felt guilty. 

He was the only one to survive out of his household. His family and himself had gone through so much, yet here he is sitting pretty like he’s something special. What makes him so different? What warrants his life but not the ones of his parents or his brother? His parents fought tooth and nail to stay alive. They even braved the world by sneaking into a borderline hostile country to escape a full blown deadly one. 

Jorge and Sergio weren’t the richest kids on the block- but they knew they had it better than their parents. They knew they were loved, and up until the bomb, they never lived in fear. They never wondered if they would be able to make it home after school. Never worried that mom or dad wasn’t going to be home when the brothers returned. 

Then the bomb went off. One of the missiles god near struck their house. The entire neighborhood was turned within hours. What was left of the military was sent in to try to contain the outbreak. 

Surge’s parents were taken down. Jorge and Surge only survived by playing dead in the creek that split the neighborhood.

Three nights later, Jorge commits suicide. Without explanation or warning- he just walked into the acidic fall out. 

What made “Sergio Garcia” so special that not only does he get to survive somewhere safe, he gets to become practically human again? He’s not even supposed to be living here to begin with!

Arms wrapped around his shoulders, a warm purr vibrated against his back as someone’s nose nuzzled into the crook of his neck. Surge realized he was standing outside. Right, Lance wanted to talk with him. He was on his way- until somewhere along the journey he just stopped walking.

“Hey baby boy.” Garrett’s voice was muffled against Surge’s clothes. “Sure you should be up so soon?” 

____________________

Garrett walked with Surge all the way to Lance’s tent. He was coordinating another round of gathering from the rivers, multiple soldiers circled the low table. It was nice to have an omega pressed against his side. He hasn’t been subject to his hormones in forever, then all the sudden he has the insatiable need for touch. Garrett was easily twice his age despite standing the same height. Surge was always tall in his classes though. 

Lance let out a noise that sounded like a purr when one of the soldiers- Fox?- nudged his arm and tipped his chin at the approaching duo. Surge smiled nervously, feeling utterly naked without his brother’s mask. His new jaw didn’t match the rest of his skin tone. But, it healed. He didn’t know how he got it, every time he asked, Lance would get a sickly shade of nausea. 

“How the hell are you feeling?” Lance rounded the table, crouching until he was eye level with Surge.

“Okay.” his voice was strained, thoughts ticking back and forth in his minds. 

“Just okay? Are you still hurting?” Lance’s lips twitched worriedly. “God, Surge, I thought I had killed you.” Thick muscle wrapped around his shoulders. Lance squeezed the young alpha in a hug that felt like it should have come from a father.

“Estoy Bien.” Surge muttered, biting softly on his new lips. “I’m Okay, Sir Lance.”

“My bilingual baby.” Garrett purred, being trapped in the hug along with Surge. 

“Seriously Surge, talk to us.” Lance rumbled. He ruffled up the young alpha’s hair lightly before releasing the two. Surge frowned, his lips twitching with unsaid thoughts. He was physically the best he had been in a very long time. It still weighed on him. Why was he so special? Why couldn’t Richie have had the chance? Or his parents? His brother had abandoned hope on his own accord. Everyone else- they didn’t have a choice. Like Surge didn’t have the choice of whether or not he wanted to continue to live. 

He knew death was creeping closer- that permanent darkness. He could feel it lingering over his head. Now he was thrusted right back into the thick of things. He was being forced to face this reality. Surge had already accepted that everything would continue without him. None of this was his responsibility. 

Now he’s back in the thick of things. 

____________________

Scritches bounced in the small space of where the children were playing. A storm was brewing outside once again. None of the little ones seemed to be afraid this time- they had their zombie dog. 

Zombie dog Scritches would chase away all the boogeymen. 

Surge leaned his head back against the outside wall of where the pups were playing. He’s been given actual food- he’s needed actual clean water. Surge has become another mouth to feed and another notch in the overwhelming problem. He couldn’t even offer the comfort that Scritches did. Surge doesn’t deserve this kind of chance. The survivors needed everything. If the world was going to continue, they shouldn’t be wasting time on creatures like him. 

“Come on inside, Kid.” A voice sounded from behind him, the rain had started to pour. That fear of the acid resparking throughout the settlement. 

“Ustedes merecen más.” Surge smiled lifelessly. His mismatched eyes flickering over the soldier he only barely recognized. 

“Surge. Come on inside.” He looked nervous suddenly. The omega shifted between his feet, studying Surge’s intentions. 

“Lo siento, la segunda oportunidad no debería haberse perdido en mí.” he lurched forward, pulling against the holds the warrior omega tried to grasp. Surge was released when his body was being flooded over with the downpour. The soldier screaming for Surge to get back to safety, but the soldier was to afraid to chase after him.

Maybe the death wasn’t painful because he was accepting it? Is this what Jorge had experienced? Rain ran the length of his face, the cool water almost blissful across his new senses. 

He was tackled to the ground, someone flailing over him as the rain was being blocked off by a loud tarp. 

“Jesus, fuck, You are fucking not!” a voice cracked angrily above him. Rachel landed a firm slap across Surge’s wet face, barking at him again- demanding to know what he was thinking. 

She froze, the tarp falling uselessly at her side. She held out a hand with her eyes wide. The rain pattered harmlessly against her skin. That burn of acid was gone. Had it worked its way out of the system? Surge laid uselessly in the mud. He vaguely realized the weather was on his skin yet again. The spray felt good. 

Fox came into Surge’s field of vision, experimentally holding out his hand to the harmless, life giving gift. 

“You’re lucky this time.” Fox grunted, the alpha squatting by Surge’s side. “I’m going to bring you inside. Help you get cleaned up. Then we are going to have a talk.” Surge didn’t respond, he couldn’t even bring himself to look the other alphas in the eyes. 

“I think you’re dropping, Sweetie.” Rachel tried to turn Surge’s eyes onto her. He didn’t want to deal with it. Closing his eyes and sleeping would be so much easier. Not waking up would be ideal. 

“I don’t know what’s going through your head. But I guarantee the drop is lying to you.” Fox hissed. Surge felt his body being moved. Fox had slung the younger alpha over his shoulder and was moving towards shelter. 

“We’re going to handle this, okay? You’re going to be okay, Kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end? 
> 
> so. the ending has been changed via the request of a living Sergio that I'm buddies with.  
> He said that he has no problem with giving his name to one of my characters. as long as the character doesn't die.  
> He is one to hold me to that.  
> I love him to bits, both the fictional and the actual, so it didn't take a lot of convincing
> 
> I was told this after I had the whole thing planned. 
> 
> I will be back in two days. but. I won't be starting another line until I start the new "book" in the growing series. SO  
> the options still stand, except there's one more
> 
> A: Deleted Scenes, aka bits that could have made it into the lines but a decision took the direction of the story in another direction. 
> 
> B: One Shots, aka things that probably have our dudes, but it'll be short, short scenes. you know- typical fanfic drabble.
> 
> C: Development, aka some of my older works -after I doctor the hell out of them. Pretty much my method of how I develop my characters when I'm getting ready for a big project. Getting to know the babies. maybe making a new one.


	95. The Making of: Geovanti Stein :

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the ones from here to the end of the 100 chapters won't be related to one another. but I'll still be posting a thing every day up to the 100th chapter.  
> Power through! so weird getting this far actually.
> 
> so, this isn't exactly an omega verse thing: because I just recently started writing omega things actually. as in the first chapter of this madness was the first omega/alpha thing I ever wrote. the older characters of mine in this series have been adjusted to fit the change in universe. 
> 
> : warnings :  
> although not explicit, elements of an abusive parent.

____________________  
Brown hair, green eyes.  
14 years old (freshmen in high school)  
Has two, twin, baby brothers  
Studies hard, does very well in school.  
Wants nothing more than to protect Jason and Jeremy (five years old).  
Geovanti Stein  
____________________

Two brown headed mops bounced on either side of big brother. The children, barely over the age of toddler, each had a tight grasp on Geo’s much larger hands. He was walking the twins back from school. He had just gotten off of the bus himself, instead of turning right, he turned left and went to pick up his little brothers. Like every day. 

Jeremy was babbling on about how he was getting better at keeping the colors inside the lines. Jason was too busy fiddling with his fingers. His face contorted as if he was concentrating too hard. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Geo teased, currently balancing three backpacks on his shoulders.

“Alex said we only have eight fingers. That the thumbs don’t count.” Jason held up his hands, “Why don’t they count?” 

“If the thumbs don’t count… how are we supposed to count to ten?” Jeremy looked almost panicked at the prospect. Geo had to chuckle, both of his hands moving up to ruffle his brothers’ thick mops of hair.

“The thumbs are a special finger, but they can still be used for counting.” Geovanti teased again, “Did you know, you can count up to twelve on one hand?” 

Both of his brothers erupted into confusion around him. Earning a few sideways glances from the neighbors around them. Geo lifted a palm for the view of the disgruntled twins. He counted off slowly for the learning youths, pointing at every segment of his four fingers: a perfect dozen hidden between unassuming knuckles.

“So if you ever need help counting higher, you’ve totally got this.” Geo smiled to the exuberant children. All of them had homework to do, so they needed to head home quickly. Hopefully Father will be out late again. 

Geo fished the key out of his bag, the twins still flanking his either side. No one was home at the moment. That was the best case scenario in all honesty. Mom was out working in the diner, and Daddy dearest was out doing… something.

Probably getting drunk again. 

Geo ushered the twins into the home, coaxing them to set up their work at the dining room table. The dining room was right off of the kitchen- he would be able to see that they were actually working while he scrounged for something to eat. 

“I have a spelling test tomorrow.” Jason announced.

“Me too.” Jeremy echoed, pouring most of his bag onto the floor before ruffling through his unorganized mess.

“Six whole words,” Jason bantered, already having his pages in front of him because of his marginally better paper management. Geovanti let them realize that they had the same test tomorrow at their own speed. He was too busy nosing around the fridge and cabinets, trying to piece some form of dinner together. 

Grilled cheese, again. That’s okay- the twins really like grilled cheese. Geo cleaned up the majority of the mess, leaving only the frying pan- already clean- out to dry on the dish rack. He moved fluidly through the narrow doorway. The messy table, overtaken by colorful kindergarten papers, took up most of the space in the small room. Just enough for them to circle the table, eat, and laugh.

With diner done, Geo curled up on a chair with his binder across his lap. Algebra glared dauntingly back up at him as he tried to wrap his mind around what should- eventually- become a second nature thing. Until then…

What the actual fuck is “X” doing?

____________________

Lights washed over the livingroom from a car pulling into the driveway. Every hair stood on the teenager’s neck. He’s since finished math and had moved through three more subjects since he’s curled up in the chair of the living room. Someone just got home. 

He folded his place in the history book as he unwound his limbs. Slowly, he braved too look out the main window. A older, rustier pickup truck was parked half in the yard. Dad. 

Raven was home. Geo swore under his breath, seeing that heavy truck door swing open. He had to get the twins upstairs. Jason was already practically asleep on the livingroom floor, his teddy bear in his tiny grasp. Jeremy was more stubborn, sitting up- barely- with an ‘action figure’ firmly in hand.

“Time for bed.” Geo rushed in a soft voice, Jason was already lifted onto his hip. He was currently trying to wrangle the “I’m not sleepy” toddler into some kind of control. The three made it to the top of the staircase when Raven was fiddling with the front door’s lock. A drunken swear rumbled from behind the doorway, a solid fist coming down on the already abused wood. 

“Just lay down, Daddy doesn’t bother sleeping boys, remember?” 

____________________

Geovanti was hiding in his room. For the lack of better terms, he was praying that his promise to his baby brothers would hold up for himself as well. 

“Dad doesn’t bother sleeping boys.” 

It’s always worked to get the twins into bed quickly- despite not having had a bath, or brushing their teeth, or any of the normal nightly rituals that Geo tries to uphold. This time, Raven came home early- or did Geo lose track of time again? The most frustrating part of it all- he was actually looking forward to reading to the boys again tonight. They had gotten really wrapped up in a book, and Geo had the honor of serving as the voice over. 

He was curled up under his thin blankets, straining to fall asleep as he heard every thud of the drunk downstairs. His heart was pounding in his ears. He wasn’t exactly comfortable where he laid, but even with his door closed and the creature downstairs, it was like if he moved that beast would notice him. 

“Stein!” the thick voice growled from the base of the stairs. Geo flinched hard, throwing himself up off of the bed. He was pretty sure he had put his hoodie on inside out, but he needed something to cover his skin. 

“Geovanti Fucking Stein!” closer, he was getting closer. Geo didn’t even second think when he jumped out his window. The low slant of the roof felt like a haven. He’s hidden out here many times. Just climb up to the top of the peak and lay out for the night. At least, until Mother gets home. Raven’s never bothered the twins after they’ve went bed. This shouldn’t be any different.

The door to his room slammed against the wall, abruptly followed by an angered growl. Geo laid above his brothers’ window, just to listen, just in case. Mom better get home soon. Then again, perhaps it was better that she was out: maybe Raven will be passed out by the time she’s done with work. 

____________________

“Big brother!” two tiny voices were yelling up at him.“Brother it’s time for school!” Geo was freezing, wet from the morning dew. It both warmed his heart and soured his stomach that his little dudes knew where to find him. He crawled to the ledge that hung over their window, sluggishly dropping himself into their room.

“Did you count all the stars again?” Jason smiled, still only half dressed. Geo nodded, able to keep up the facade of a smile.

“How the ninjas sleep last night?” Geo’s vanilla voice was deep from sleepiness. His breath hitching when he saw his school books piled up against the twin’s bookshelf. “Why do you guys have my stuff?”

“Daddy was throwing things,” Jeremy squeaked.

“So we wanted to protect your things.” Jason braved to finish the sentence.

“You don’t have to risk yourselves for things.” Geo pulled the two into a tight hug, “Thank you, really. But… don’t do something that stupid again. You’re worth so much more than a few pages of old news.” 

“You saved our stuff before.” Jason pointed out. Geo deflated, gripping his brothers tighter.

“Because you guys are worth the world.” 

____________________

Geo didn’t bother changing his clothes, he still had the jeans on from yesterday, the only thing he did was turn his hoodie the right side out. His wild brown hair was matting on his head- but he was too wrapped up in getting the twins ready for kindergarten. Even helping Jason find his run away green crayon- Jason’s favorite color.

Raven was passed out across the dining room table. His long, unkempt hair sprawled over his greasy shoulders. Geo edged around him, trying to make sure he had a secure hold on all of his brothers’ homework. His own math work was pinned under the elbow of the sleeping giant. 

Geo rationed that he would be able to redo it easy enough before class. He needed the practice anyway. 

That familiar growl of an engine revved out front. Geovanti couldn’t help the sudden spike of excitement that pulsed his veins. Uncle was here, he must be wanting to drop them off at school again. Jeremy had the front door open before the other two could even make it into the room. 

Jeremy ran into the front yard, wrapping his eccentric hug around the demonic looking man.

“Uncle Die, what brings you here so early?” Geo stooped to carry all three book bags yet again. Damien already had both twins on either hip, pressing kisses into their barely tamed mops of hair.

“What? I need an invitation to check on my nephews?” Damien set the twins back onto the grass, letting them run to play in his car. “Bumblebee’s twin” is what the youths had declared Uncle’s car to be, as soon as they saw transformers. 

“Have you guys eaten?” Damien tipped his head, holding out his arms in offering of a hug. Geo snorted at the prospect, but held out his arms regardless.

“ Not yet- I packed the ninja dudes some snacks though.” Geo pulled away to lock the front door.

“Your mom’s not back?” the uncle pointed out. The only car, marginally, in the driveway was Dad’s pick up. 

“She might be having to do another double.” Geo shrugged, “It happens.” 

“We’re going for breakfast.” Damien announced. Geo snorted, looking over his crazy uncle. 

“I have to be in class in an hour.” 

“McDonalds than.” The tattooed man smirked, waving for Geo to hurry up into the car. “Then how about a sleep over after school? It’s Friday after all- we can stay up all night watching Mickey Mouse.” 

Geovanti burned his sight into his demon uncle. Sure- the twins love the mouse, but if he had to hear one of those songs, just one more time, he’s voluntarily deafening himself. 

____________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued curiosities of my ramblings!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments!


	96. The Making of : Aida, Aden Ricci :

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :Warning:  
> not super explicit but mentioning of rape, murder, and panic attacks.  
> (not words I thought I would ever string together)
> 
> again, not set in an omega/alpha universe. I'm actually kind'a hoping this both explains somethings, but still doesn't ruin how these two dudes are seen. This is one of the original tester things I did with them just to feel out how they would work. Doctored up a little bit.

____________________  
Pale blond hair and transparent blue eyes  
Twenty three years old  
Multiple Personality Disorder (DID)  
Know of each other's existence/ maintains work and friends with minimal issues.  
Doesn’t care about appearances/ gets frustrated with other  
Aida/Aden Ricci  
____________________

He blinked his awareness, face was propped up by a half hearted fist. The desk below him was an utter mess. Papers absolutely everywhere- a good number of them torn to shreds. 

He tried to run his hands through his hair- finding pens and scissors tucked into the braid that ran the right side of his head. The hell was he doing? Pale eyes searched the desk because the idiot had to have left a note. 

“Your turn” Was aggressively scribbled on a post-it note, stuck directly on the laptop’s screen. An arrow was drawn to point at a message. 

Aden crumpled the note in an albino fist, his other hand working to get the email open. The message was from his very disgruntled mother, apparently he had missed Uncle’s birthday party and she was demanding an explanation. The ravaged papers around him were hand written yet quickly abandoned apology letters. A breath hissed between his teeth, not wanting to deal it either. 

____________________

Aden moved fluidly in the kitchen, stopping every so often to search the cabinets. His beloved other half didn’t put things back where they belonged. Asking the dip wouldn’t be at all helpful, he wouldn’t remember where he left anything anyway. 

With a glance at the clock, he pulled out the kitchen’s stash of post-its to scribble out the most basic instructions of what to do. Aida’s show will be coming on in a few minutes. Aden wouldn’t so heartless as to make him miss the season finale. Aden half expected everything to be burned, but he’d give the idiot a chance. 

____________________  
Aida found himself waking up on the living room couch. The remote was in his lap, a post-it note labeled across the top.

“Don’t let the food burn”

Right… he does have to eat, doesn’t he. The television was promptly turned on, a childish smirk playing across his features as he turned to the right channel. Aden played hard-ass on him all the time, but he knew somewhere deep inside that coal heart, Aden loved him. 

With the theme song blasting as an un-neighborly level, Aida was twisting his hair back into that braid he prefers. He had half a mind to actually check in the kitchen just to see what he would be having for dinner tonight. 

Aden was the better cook, so it was probably something more towards the healthier side of the spectrum: compared to Aida’s default of brownie and ice cream sundaes. Which sounds amazing at the moment actually. 

Would Aden really be all that pissed if he would just change the plans. After all- the directions only said to not burn the food. You can’t burn what you don’t cook. 

With the self pep talk, Aida glided over to the kitchen. Three more notes were lined on the counter. 

“Stir the pot on the stove every so often”  
“4:45 Pour a can of green beans in a bowl and nuke it for 45 seconds”  
“DO NOT TOUCH THE OVEN. Wake me when timer goes off(30 ish minutes)”

Easy enough, in theory. Aida leaned on his elbows as his pale eyes locked to the television. Four weeks of intermediate binge watching has led up to this pinnacle episode. Here’s to hoping that the timer doesn’t buzz at the climax of the showing. 

____________________

Aden was thrown into reality, shaking. He was pressed back against the cabinet doors in the kitchen, his hands residually clawing against his ears. Lines of tears burned his face as he darted his eyes around- trying to figure out what just happened. 

The television was still on, still very loud, and currently displaying a rape scene. The rape and murder of the main character to be exact. Aden held his limbs closer to his stomach, just sitting for a while to calm the panicking finch that was his heart. The scene didn’t bother him quite as badly as it does Aida, so he didn’t move to mute the showing immediately. If he tried to get up right now, he’d probably fall over anyway.

Why would someone spend an entire series building up the love and support of a character, just to brutally murder them anyway? It’s a storytelling method, sure. Yet, how many people did this episode just simultaneously, viciously throw into a panic attack? 

Hope it was worth it, Pricks.

With his heart back under control, Aden tested out his legs. Slowly he managed to move over to the couch where the remote was laying abandoned. Aden looked to the time on the wall, then flipped the information of the show up onto the screen. There was only twenty minutes left in the entire series, final season, the whole thing. The main chick, Melinda, sure doesn’t look like she’s going to make it- might as well tell Aida to not bother finishing it. 

She’s the reason fanfiction exists. Maybe that was the writer’s method? Stir the entire fan-base into a hysteria so they well be hooked on it. They probably just wanted something to stick out more than a ‘happily ever after.’ 

Well, Dudes, you’re still pricks. 

Aden turned off the television, finding the longer he listened to that triggering episode, the more pissed off he was getting. He could just as easily finish cooking, maybe tidy up the house a little. Aida won’t be wanting to switch off for a while. 

____________________

Only after he was sure he had a belly full of healthy food did he move to the bath attached to the bedroom. Aden had laid out Aida’s pajamas instead of his own. The obnoxious design that was printed against fleece looked like something that a child would want, not an adult. This is Aida, though. He’s always been a bit eccentric. 

The bed was ready for him, the bath water was heavenly, and Aden even set out one of Aida’s notorious sundaes on the bath’s ledge. He couldn’t imagine a better way to calm down his panicky other half. 

____________________

His pulse began to spike when he wasn’t sure of where he was. The house was silent. His skin was warm. He was laying back on something, a cloth folded up under his head. Aida lifted his arm as his eyes began to flutter. Water splashed all at once around him, just from his own rapid movement. 

Bathtub. He was in Aden’s bath. This was that stoic bastard’s way of saying everything’s okay. Aden’s got his back. A humorless laugh erupted from his throat when he noticed the waiting bowl of ice cream on his left. All that was missing were candles and a tall glass of wine. The albino sank lower into the water, loving the feel of the warmth as it encased him. 

How many times had he been told that Aden wasn’t healthy for him? How many times had Aida been accused of not being the original occupant of this body? This doesn’t feel like an abusive relationship. This has got to be one of the best arrangements, actually. They don’t get in each other's way. Despite not being able to talk physically, they have a better communication than most married couples. Sure, they have their disagreements and individuality in tastes, but who’s to say this can not work?

It’s worked for twenty some odd years. 

____________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are seeing my babies in some of their purest forms and it's super unnerving to me. Then again if you've make it this far into the series- chances are you're half way invested.
> 
> Thank you for your continued support and curiosities!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	97. Deleted Scene: The Crossover :

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> : Warning:  
> Implied Major Character Death
> 
> explanation of why this was cut and another was used in it's place is in the end notes. 
> 
> Also, as many of my other things, this turns dark really freaking fast  
> I've actually put an extra set of "xxxxxxxxx" in just as a heads up. if you wanna just not read below that, sure. most of it is explained in the end notes anyway.

Jaydon leaned on Eugene’s shoulder. They had their bags stuffed between their feet in the back of the compact taxi, forest lining either side of the road. The highway was so small compared to a city street, so empty. It was almost surreal that places like this still exists, let alone so close to home. 

The two were heading south, for Starved Rock. The preserve was rumored to be absolutely gorgeous and the most polar opposite of what the two city boys were used to. Maybe they’ll be able to find a couple new friends. Maybe they’ll decide to move out here to get away from the testosterone fueled dickwads in the city. Perhaps they’ll even see a nearly mythical female omega. 

Jay purred his love under his breath, feeling his husband squeeze his side with a just as soft of a response. They both deserve this vacation time. Just something to get out and away from the hell that the city had been throwing at them. 

Gene nosed a gentle kiss in the red curles of his irish omega. Both of them were looking out the windows like children going to Disney world. Rock formations stood in the center of valleys. Fully fledged canyons gaped on either side of the road. Bridges that made stomachs sink were far too plentiful.

____________________

Eugene checked into the room relatively quickly, finding that Jay was already wandering around the gift shop by the time he had gotten the room key. 

“Anything of interest?” Gene purred, holding both backpacks on his shoulders.

“They have arrowheads.” Jay turned to reveal the polished, cut obsidian. “I can totally turn these into necklaces for us.” 

“I’d love that.” the skunk smiled, tipping his head towards the check-out counter. “Let’s go set our things down and get a good look at the grounds.” 

____________________

Jay had his husband by the wrist as he practically ran through a picnic field. Just on the outskirts of it was a low barn styled fence. Beyond that was a smooth running river, at the bed of a great canyon dip. Trees lined the edges seamlessly, each one dressed in their most formal colors. 

“I want to live here.” Jay gasped, “Imagine this as our backyard!”

“Beautiful.” Eugene smiled, nibbling into Jay’s shoulder. The redhead giggled, gently shoving the skunk off of his scruff. 

“There’s a canyon we can walk in just down this path, wanna go to that one first? Or would you like lunch and a quickie first?” Gene purred his promises, smiling devilishly when Jay rolled his eyes. 

“If we hold off until we make it to the room, it won’t have to be a quickie.” Jay was just as evil in his smirk, “Let’s go see the scenery. That’s why we’re here after all.” 

____________________

Gene walked slowly, letting his love take as many pictures as his phone could hold. Gene had cleared his phone for this specific reason. Once Jay starts complaining of having to choose between photos, he’ll be able to hand his own over as a fresh slate. 

“Look,” Jay snapped in a hushed voice, snatching Gene’s arm almost violently. The skunk followed his husband’s pointed finger, a doe stood stock still among the foliage. Her large doe eyes watching them just as intently as they were her. She really was beautiful, just standing there probably eating her lunch, until the two omegas happened to meander by. 

“Should we turn around?” Jay whispered. Gene shaking his head silently. She was probably use to seeing people, she was living in a state park, after all. 

____________________

French canyon, was the first one they walked into. The narrow path looked almost impossible to the city spoiled two. It quickly opened up to a room almost. Walls of slick rocks, beveled and carved by both water and trees raised on either of their sides. A small pool of water sat peacefully at their feet. Only the slow trickle of water that fleeted out the path they came in by proved that there was still a source under the silt surface. 

Jay completely forgot to take a photo. His phone was pocketed as his bright green eyes swiveled back and forth. Eugene was captivated by the look on his love. His heart swelled euphorically with love and peace every time he saw his mate happy, this trip was going to make him a junkie. 

“Should we do a selfie?” Jay finally turned his smile onto Gene, holding up his phone tauntingly. He obliged, hooking his arm around his husband’s side and holding him tight against himself. Just as Jay was about to snap the picture, Gene tipped his mouth against Jay’s throat, sucking a soft mark for the world to see. 

He earned a yelp and a playful shove. The photo was priceless.

____________________

Jaydon sat cross-legged on the king sized bed. Gene had take-out from the bar/restaurant combo on the premise, and was currently setting up the buffett of burgers. Even though they just took one of the shorter paths today, both of them were sore. The next four days were going to be interesting. 

They both looked through Jay’s photos as they ate in a peaceful silence. Gene every so often pointing out a thing or two on a photo, most of which his own ass that Jay managed to sneak a couple teasing pictures of. His favorite, by far, was the french canyon selfie.

____________________

They decided to pack a breakfast and take off on the trails as soon as they could. Jaydon continued to lead the way with his camera at the ready. Their mission today was to head out towards Illinois’ canyon while they still had the energy to do so. The map claimed it to be a four mile hike one way. They’ve heard horror stories that it feels so much longer. 

The horror stories weren’t kidding. By their guesstimates, they were about three fourths of the way there. Their legs wanted to collapse in on themselves. 

“Do you wanna’ stop for a little?” Gene was the first to admit defeat. Jay nodded, not even mocking his husband. Barely four steps off the trail, the two plopped down on a ledge. The rest of the cliff towering above them.

“This place is un-fucking-real.” Jaydon snorted, a smirk never really wavering from his expression. Eugene held out a water bottle in a silent offer, his head nodding since his breath was too busy trying escape. 

“You good?” Jay nudged, digging through his own bag to fish out a snack.

“Tired, just give me a sec’.” Gene smiled, leaning more weight that he would like to admit onto his knees. 

____________________

The farther down the trail they went, the fewer people there were. It was like they were the only idiots trying to walk this distance. The path itself wasn’t even kept as well, landslides and mud rivers crossed the designated areas frequently. Mostly things that were more of a mess to cross than a hassle. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Until Gene lost his footing. 

Jaydon’s heart sank as he scrambled to catch his falling mate. Gene slipped over the steep ledge of the hill, landing with a solid crunch against a wide-based tree. 

Jay wasn’t much of a tree hugger before, but that goddamned thing was the only thing that saved his mate’s life. Only river and rocks were below to catch Gene’s fall. 

“Babe, don’t move!” Jay screamed, easily twenty feet above where Gene had been caught by mother nature. He could scent Gene’s panic and pain even from this distance. Jay almost threw himself over the ledge to go to his mate. What good would both of them being stuck do? 

“Babe, can you hear me?” Jay screamed again. He could feel himself going into shock, he had to keep his head on straight- for Eugene. 

The wind was knocked out of Eugene, his left arm was a pulsing, painful, useless mess. His love sounded like he was about to go straight into red above him. God fucking damn it all! He managed to nod his head to his mate, trying his best to reclaim the simple act of breathing. He had to get back up, he had to get to Jay before Jaydon just falls helplessly to this fucking cold mud. His sight kept trying to fog over, that was annoying…

Had he hit his head? Gene tried to move his right arm, just to probe around the source of the growing migraine. Gravity tried to pull him farther down the hill, where there was no godsend of a tree to catch him. Meaningless to say- he just assumed that he had hit his head and held tightly against the rough, aging bark. 

“There’s a road. Right up ahead. I’m going to get help.” Jay’s voice sounded pinched through his screaming. The best case scenario was for someone to help Gene back up the drop, but he didn’t know Jaydon would be able to make it to the road. 

____________________

The first thing Jaydon realized was that an exuberant dog was sniffing him over. His drunken fingers splayed out to appease the animal, vaguely registering that someone was calling for the dog to return to them.

A strong, alpha, hand curled under Jay’s jaw. His sight couldn’t focus enough to clearly see who was touching him, all he knew was that he started to babble. Trying to convey everything at once and hoping that at least the most important bits will translate. 

Two voices were talking around him, the second seeming a lot daintier than the alpha counterpart. The dog has since ceased his pestering, but not his whining. 

“Lay down, omega.” the alpha used a command, his strong, oversized hand leading Jay back onto something soft… Was this the backseat of a car?

“NO. no… Eugene.” Jay struggled against the command, willing his muscles to move. Gene does it all the time- why can’t he do it once!?

“We know, little omega. Zyane, my alpha, is going for him.” the softer voice explained. A gentle hand combed through his undoubtedly ruined hair.

“You both will probably need to go to a hospital.” that gentle voice was grounding. Someone- an alpha- was going to go help Gene. 

____________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've written this out three times, and I hated all of it. (didn't even finish it this time)  
> this is a deleted scene because in this version Sky gets taken by Zyane and the two are literally never seen again.  
> as to not uproot the entirety of the other lines, this would mean someone would have to play Sky's very vital part. the best candidate is Jaydon (for reasons yet to be announced)
> 
> I'm not finishing the scene because I've scarred my ninjas enough. Eugene Griffith doesn't survive this line, thus it was cut out. and No. Zyane doesn't stay a good guy either- Sky just disappears with an 'abusive alpha'  
> (Sky and Zyane end up in starved rock because "Sky had never been there and they have to wait for the furniture to be delivered anyway, so they spend a few nights in the lodge to make up the difference in time")


	98. Deleted Scene : Surge's Alternate End :

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :Warning:  
> Major Character Death  
> Zombie specific Body Horror
> 
> (this is Surge after all)
> 
> What almost happened, until I decided to mix in Seth and Severian because personal stubbornness.   
> (it would have left a lot of loose ends that were hinted at, but up for speculation. I like the one with all my babies better anyway)

“Come on, wanna’ go check the fences with me?” Lance’s kind eyes smiled at the zombie, Surge found himself fidgeting in his place.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Rachel scolded as she raced across the street, “Baby Surge has seen enough action. Any more and you’re gonna’ break him!” Her strong arms braced around Surge’s shoulders, holding him protectively against her chest. Surge just nosed shyly into the warmth.

“What? I can’t have a field trip with our buddy?” Lance teased, already seeing that he wasn’t going to get anywhere in this argument. 

“He is super helpful to Cynthia, he doesn’t need to double as one of your footmen as well.” Rachel turned on her heel, taking the stumbling zombie with her. “If I have anything to do with it- Baby boy isn’t going to leave these walls ever again!”

____________________

Surge leaned back in the chair Cynthia had brought over for him. He was currently sitting in the children’s care side of the hallway, Scritches doing his pupper duty of running between beds and filling the hair with a mix of bone chilling howls and giggling. He had to have been a husky in his previous life- how else would he have this kind of vocal range?

He was starting to lose time. Entire chunks of blank spaces in his memory. Sometimes he would find himself in the same place- unmoved. Other times he would catch himself wandering aimlessly. This time he was standing over the bed of a sleeping patient. The little omega was injured while working on a building. He ended up falling from the roofing- breaking his leg on impact. 

The omega was sound asleep… Surge hadn’t really disturbed him. Surge also managed to get a grip of himself before he committed the unthinkable. He really should start trying to figure out a way of getting to the outside of the barrier if he was going to be pulling these kind of stunts. He needed to be respectful to the ones that have welcomed him in. 

Walking suddenly became one of the most complicated things Surge has ever experienced. His arms splayed out to catch himself as his shoulder slammed against the wall. He cursed himself as he tried to fight to put his legs back under himself. Breathing rattled through his mask, his rotting arms just tearing to shreds against the wooden wall, gravity pulled him onto the thin carpet of the floor. 

For a moment, he just laid there, shaking. The noise was enough to earn Cynthia’s attention. Her bell like voice gasped from down the hallway as her dainty, elderly steps rushed towards him. Surge tried to push himself up, refusing to become a corps in the middle of this place of healing. 

“Don’t move, Sweetie, it’s okay.” Cynthia chastised, Surge didn’t realize her hands were already on him. She was methodically checking him over, hissing at a couple of her finds.

“I’m going to get Fox, okay? I’ll ask him to carry you to a bed for me.” Cynthia explained quickly, her wry smile flickering but not reaching her eyes. She left him where he laid. He couldn’t feel the pain he should have been in. That wasn’t ever a good sign. 

He lifted his arms to his sight. The right forearm was practically all bone now. His hand hung limp at the end of white, morbid structure. Panic nearly blinded him. The stress of just not being able to function, he wasn’t going to get better- everything was just falling off of him. Even when his heart wasn’t beating, he breathed raggedly through the rot. Breathing felt normal, it was one of the last normal things he had. 

Fox hushed the zombie when he knelt at the ragged one’s side. The alpha seemed to twist a scowl of worry and disgust when he was able to look over Surge’s condition.

“How the fuck am I supposed to lift him?” He hissed through grit teeth, his red eyes searching Cynthia’s face. She swallowed against her nerves. 

“Just, please, be careful.” she whimpered, “There’s an empty bed two doors down.” Surge felt an arm snake under his shoulders, a huge palm directed his head onto the alpha’s breast before moving to fold is useless arms onto his own chest. Alpha whispered apologies as he slowly straightened to his full height, Surge limp in his hold. 

The bed was all that was keeping Surge’s limbs together. If he doesn’t move, if he waits long enough- Cynthia will be able to put him back together. That’s what he was promising himself. Fox looked green in the corner of the room, quietly mumbling confirmations whenever she asked him to get anything. Surge trusted them enough, he let himself slip back into the painless darkness. 

____________________

“Baby Boy.” a man leaned in close to him. Garrett’s touch was pressed onto his chest as if he was trying to shake him awake.

“Wake up, Baby Boy.” he sounded terrified, other voices were around him. He couldn’t make out what they were saying. Surge blinked his eye open, the fog of sleep still blurring his already fuzzy sight. 

“Surge?” a woman tested the waters, he tried to find the source of the voice. He couldn’t control where he was looking… that’s weird.

“Come on, Buddy, you need to relax.” that was definitely Lance. Wasn’t he relaxing already? Garrett just woke him up. Everything rushed all at once, his side and face was forced against the floor, hardwood splitting his tender cheek. Why would they throw him?

They didn’t. No one was near him at the moment. Surge willed his last remaining limb to push him up from the floor, his head lulling weakly. What was happening? Was this just the inevitable?

He was a monster- has he rotted to the point he can’t function at all anymore? A hand was tucked under his masked jaw, lifting his hazed sight onto Rachel’s worried face.

“Hey Bud, you with us?” her question stunned him. Yes? Mentally yes. Physically, he couldn’t do anything. Even now, he realized his left arm was struggling without his input. He was forced to watch as he was trying to claw into Rachel’s beautiful skin. They’re going to kill him.

The realization scared him so much more than he thought it would. He knew this moment would be coming- how else was this supposed to end? Everyone else was dead: what made him so special that he would be allowed to survive? He would be joining his family soon. 

“Por favore.” Surge silently begged. “solo ... hazlo rápido no quiero ser así.” 

Lance managed to pull Rachel away from the rabid zombie. Surge was so tattered that he couldn’t move very quickly. His ankle had completely disjointed during his unwitting struggles. This was the full brutal force of this disease. The mental torture and entrapment of watching yourself become a bloodthirsty monster. He hasn’t hurt anyone yet. Thankfully. 

The survivors weren’t going to let him hurt anyone. If they had mercy, they would end this soon. There was no cure, there was no resisting this. Lance was forcing everyone out of the room. His towering form looming over Surge like a boogeyman. Surge heard the click of metal that was undoubtedly Lance’s handgun. A shudder racked his tense shoulders, collapsing farther onto the floor. 

Lance ended up on the floor with him, his wide brown eyes fidgeting as he studied Surge’s. 

“Surge, Buddy.” he tried. “You’re so far gone. I don’t want to… but.” Lance sucked a breath, shaking under the weight of his own thoughts.

“It’s not even fair to you to make you live like this.” the alpha tried to smooth over Surge’s messed hair, begging to see some kind of understanding in the zombie’s distant eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Baby Boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hugs and hot chocolate for everyone. I promise I'll try to have the next two little one shots be something more light hearted.
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosities!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	99. One Shot : Kisaki :

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I didn't want to do any line progressive things in the last few chapters, but I had this scene stuck in my head forever. Kind'a think I wouldn't have enough for an entire week's worth of typing, without going too far into the gory details. 
> 
> I also told myself to write something fluffy after the last few posts... about that. 
> 
> so... morbid themes warning?  
> also: spoilers / teasers for Severian's line.

“Hello, Toby.” She didn’t even feign a smile towards the giant creature. She was carefully painting the last touches onto her makeup. 

“Kisaki.” He hollowly grunted, standing at attention in the doorway. His dull cyan eyes were small features compared to his strong nose and hard cut jaw. She couldn’t help but hum at the title. That forgotten flicker of pride sparking again. 

Empress. 

“The two are downstairs, did you load them up already?” She was combing out the final kinks in her hair, even though she looked underwhelmingly plain, this was taking forever to complete. 

“Yes, Kisaki.” He spoke almost robotically. Only revealing that he had a voice when spoken directly to. Under this mindless mask he wore perfectly, was a deadly weapon without remorse. The other had sent him upon her request. It was about time that the two women sat face to face. So much has happen and so much more has yet to be completed. With the recent developments with her assassin, some things may need to be changed. 

Zen stood elegantly. Not even earning a flicker of Toby’s sight as she moved about the room to gather the last little parcels she would need. 

“Had it started to snow yet?” She lifted a light umbrella from it’s storage, hearing the curt response from the trained pet. Zen handed the handle to the beast, Toby taking it without question.

“We should be going.” Zen, although not the tallest person in the world, stood up to Saratobi's breast while she was wearing her heels. Even so, he moved out of her way and followed her wordlessly as she left for the car. 

____________________

The meeting place resembled a palace more than it needed to, not that it surprised Zen at all, of course, Kumori would want to show off her newest toys. Toby came around the side of the fine car, opening the door and holding out the umbrella to shield her from the falling flakes. 

Zen was greeted by a handful of servants, each time she came here, she swore that they were becoming more and more nude. Eventually Kumori would run out of clothes to withhold. A gentle looking boy, couldn’t be much more than a child, smiled obediently up at her, holding out a cup of something hot. It had to have been burning his fingers, the way he was holding it. He was trained to not show any emotion of such things, even as his fingers were turning red. 

It had been a cold ride, and an even colder walk up the front yard. Zen accepted the spiked cider, smelling the liquor off of it immediately.

____________________

“What an honor.” a voice sounded deceivingly like a bell. White sclera eyes with pitch pinholes for pupils stood out in the lavender lavish room. Crystals and gems were used profusely in the embroidery of her sitting room. Kumori herself was painted a solid golden bronze, her long hair tamed into hundreds of fine braids. Her hair was patched between uneven blotches of white and silk black: the only unhidden effect of her vitiligo. 

“You even got all dressed up for me.” Kumori stood, holding out her hand in offering. Zen only moved past her to seat herself on one of the overly lavish armchairs. 

“You aren’t even going to give me the pleasure of enjoying your company?” Kumori sighed as she returned to her seat, stirring her own cup of something morbid. 

“You also seemed to have put quite an effort into your appearance.” Zen pointed out bluntly, even her scowl was met with half of her lips. 

“Down to business than? You’ve brought me toys- so I have heard.” Kumori clapped her hands, the heavy jewelry rattling with her movements. Toby grunted his awareness, then his curt promise when she had commanded him to go fetch. 

“1132 may be… compromised.” Zen admitted, sipping at her cup.

“You broke it?” Kumori chuckled between teeth. “I told you, you were being far too lenient with that one.” Zen bit her tongue, taking another swig of her drink. That warm burn of liquor was a god-send when dealing with Kumori. 

“I may ask to borrow Toby.” Zen tested. Earning a very interested hum from the trainer.

“So you can break another one of my creations? It’s bad enough you couldn’t wait until it was finished.” Kumori tsked, raising a hand and summoning a skittish girl that was holding a platter. Her cup ticked loudly in the suddenly silent setting. 

“Another, from 3298.” Kumori waved the girl away, whom didn’t waste any time fleeing from the room. The little servant nearly bumped into Saratobi while she was escaping. Her tiny frame falling back slightly and bowing for the towering man. Toby had his grasps firmly on the nape of one, and dragging the breeder behind himself by the hair. 

“Oh, you did get it back!” Kumori smiled brightly, “And, looks like 1132 really had fun breaking the new face.” 

“He went to repossess the breeder, that’s what is breaking his mentality. He’s remembering things that were repressed, and he’s questioning how I know the details.” Zen tipped her head, her sight falling on the breeder’s brand. “I assume since I’ve gone through so much trouble for this- you have something for me?”

“Kisaki Servants are for too precious to let be murdered for no good reason.” Kumori hummed, standing to look over the prospective new toy, “You were babying it, weren’t you?”

“1132 would notice something amiss if I hadn’t.” Zen was growing impatient. 

“I was going to give you the details of the fresh murderer I had just released, but you’ve broken your assassin.” Kumori turned away from the two toys, finding that the girl had returned with a fresh cup on a platter: blood, fresh from the tortured.

“How about I let you use Toby, but only if you let Toby hunt Sevie. It’s been far too long since it’s had a play thing.” Kumori seemed pleased with her solution. 

“You sure seem to have a lot of faith in me. How do you know I’m not setting you up, Kumori.” Zen moved to set her drink on the side table, realizing the table was a tray being held by a silent, kneeling servant. 

“I am literally the only thing standing between you and the title of being a villain in the eye of the public. You would literally step in front of a train before you would let anything happen to me.” Kumori boasted, holding out her arms. 

“And I owe everything to you, for finding me useful. That’s all I am to you, and that’s all you are to me. We should be killing each other. Not even going to deny that one: but without me, you wouldn’t have the power you have. Without you, I wouldn’t have the freedom nor the resources to make such perfect pets.” 

She smiled boldly, her braids falling over her shoulders with every fluid motion. “I know you hate me, because I have you under my thumb. Yet you can’t do shit about it, can you?”

“Kisaki,” Toby bowed at his intrusive comment, Kumori straightened her clothes as she turned her hardening attention on the creature.

“Dinner is ready, if you wish.” Toby didn’t straighten his back, keeping himself bowed low with both of the toys still in his vice holds. 

“Would you join me?” She turned towards Zen. 

“No. I will be going. I’ll have you know that Severian has grown attached to one called Skylar. If you tail him for a few days I’m sure he’ll bring you right to him.” Zen fixed her wig, letting her sight flit around the dimly lit sitting room once more. “I look forward to seeing what Toby can do. Should he fail- I will personally put a bullet in Severian’s head before he gets too out of hand. As of now, he still has a sense of loyalty to me.”

“My Saratobi never fails.” Kumori praised, patting the large man on the head like a puppy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kisaki actually directly translates to queen/empress... so I call myself EmpressRose x .x eh that sounds so cheesy. Can I go back to no one knowing? 
> 
>  Also side note, I'm planning on posting two chapters tomorrow~ one being chapter 100 here, then immediately starting the second "book" in this weird series. I just want this transition being as smooth as possible!
> 
> Literally the only reason I'm breaking it up into 100 chapter segments is because of a personal pet peeve. whenever something hits 100 pages (or however close to 100 a work will allow) I start a new document. I'm actually on document 5 at this point for this series thing. OCD? probably not. I'm not that bad, but it's a strong pet peeve. 
> 
> Thank you for your continued curiosities and support!  
> Feel free to rage in the comments~


	100. One Shot : Grey : *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it.  
> oh and. I'mma just reference you to the little (*) star by the title
> 
>  
> 
> as an apology for not curbing my morbid imagination I give you Reyne and Grey.

Coming home was easily the best feeling in the world. Even if you work with the love of your life everyday, there’s something about crossing the threshold of your domain and wrapping your arms around the one and only in your life. Grey smiled into Reyne’s curls. The omega leaned back against his alpha’s chest as he let a soft purr vibrate. 

“Hungry?” Grey teased, his lips finding Reyne’s ear. His omega hummed in that drawn out drawl. He seemed to be struggling with his shoes more than he would like to admit. 

“What kind of hungry?” Reyne eventually teased back, his chocolate irises looking his alpha up and down blatantly. 

“The food kind,” Grey shrugged innocently, a far from saintly smirk on his face. “What else were you thinkin’ ‘bout?” 

“Something like taquitos.” Reyne spoke seamlessly, escaping into the living room of their apartment. Skechers meowed his welcome loudly over the couple’s bantering.

“Thought you didn’t like taquitos?” Grey raised a brow, offering a hand to the Siamese that was now on the back of the couch and reaching for his arm. 

“I don’t, I much rathered tacos, till I tried yours.” Reyne winked, blowing a kiss, “But really, we should eat. Like. Actual food, eat.” 

Grey didn’t really know how to take his love’s confession, so instead he lifted Skechers from the couch and proceeded to smother the cat in love. 

“All this taco talk has me kind’a wanting a margarita.” Reyne swayed with his indecision. The omega quickly caved to a short chuckle as he saw the cat currently clinging to and “mauling” his alpha’s beard… again. 

Grey forced his laughing back and replaced his expression with the fakest aggressive, annoyed look he could conjure. Skechers took the cue to start yowling loudly as only a Siamese can. Reyne lost it. 

____________________

They didn’t have any tequila in stock, so the two settled for a bottle of red wine. Reyne was sitting like a prince on a kitchen chair as Grey hummed happily over the oven. 

“How did I get so lucky to find the only alpha in the world that cooks like a wizard?” Reyne smiled, sipping at his third pour of sweet wine. 

“How did I get so lucky to find an omega that looks up to me like a god, yet knows I’m wrapped around his finger?” Grey smirked from over his shoulder, silencing the timer before it could sound.

Salmon and vegetables decorated the plates like a painting. Reyne god near sang his praises as Grey sipped the wine directly from the bottle, smacking his lips teasingly. 

“If I close my eyes and tilt my head it’s almost like kissing you.” 

“I didn’t know I was dating Shakespeare.” Reyne rolled his eyes, thanking Grey as he topped off both glasses. 

____________________

The dirty dishes were forgotten on the counter. Reyne had Grey under his eyes, the normally towering alpha on his knees before the lean omega. Both of them are humming with the warmth of alcohol in their veins. Reyne was light headed from the power of having Grey so pliant. 

Reyne’s thin fingers played in Grey’s rough hair, his coarse beard scratching against the omega’s eager senses. Grey watched his omega with heavy lids. A deep rumble purring from the alpha’s chest as he waited for the next command. The omega tilted his head indecisively. His lower lip caught between his pearl fangs as he drank in the sight of his lover. 

“I could just sit here and look at you all night.” Reyne purred, lowering himself for a string of kisses. Grey hummed happily under him, red ringed eyes blown with lust. 

“Would that be too mean to ask?” Reyne smiled, chuckling softly as he noticed Grey’s fingers starting to flex at his sides. His alpha wanted to touch so badly. 

“What if I said I wanted to feel that mouth of yours?” the omega watched the lust spike in his alpha’s eyes, then how his alpha carefully pulled himself back. Grey hadn’t moved at all- hadn’t uttered a word. The omega traced his touch over the form fitting leather collar that sat right over Grey’s adams apple. Shivers flooded the both of them. Light tingles of such an intimate thing hushed as a secret in their own den. 

Reyne was a handful, an omega not many alphas could handle. He was blessed to have Grey as his husband: as his alpha and friend. Some deity somewhere was thinking of Reyne when they made Grey.

“I really do. That look in your eye is driving me crazy.” Reyne was starting to pant. He was an omega despite his curiosities. This intense gaze that his husband was basking him in was making his knees weak and his thoughts drunken… or was that the bottle of wine he and Grey had split?

“God, I love you.” Reyne trembled, lowering playful bites along Grey’s shoulder. Ever teasingly closer to the alpha’s scent. Reyne clung to his unmoved alpha, shivering as his own thoughts sent a wave of lust through his body. He gasped as Grey’s scent spiked even muskier, his eyes completely eaten up by the glowing red. God, Grey could really fucking control himself. It was an unreal, yet very delicious, skill… discipline? that the omega could swear only his alpha was capable of. 

“Should I let you have a touch?” Reyne’s voice was husky, his own mind wrapped up in what his alpha’s hands were capable of. 

“Please.” Grey’s tone was gravel around the restrained shift. He didn’t waste a single second when his omega gave him the permission to move. Large, hot fingertips splayed over the omega’s bare chest. Feeling and exploring the dips and bulges of the thinner man’s sculpt. Hot omegan skin, muscles taunt with anticipatory energy, the myriads of goosebumps that flooded the wakes of Grey’s hands: Reyne was slipping out of control with every breath he dragged. Grey’s scent lulling the omega into that instinctual mindset. 

Grey could scent the exact moment Reyne has switched between dominate to very pliant submissive. Grey’s hands moved up, one hand cradling his omega’s slack jaw while the other hooked a strong finger into the metal loop of his omega’s leather collar. Reyne didn’t move to swat him away- instead a sound anyone else would think was a moan slipped from his omega’s throat. 

The only thing Reyne had vocalized was his need for the feel of Grey’s mouth. Grey could offer that. A keening whine, that nearly broke his vocal cords in half, sounded when Grey tipped his head and pulled that collar to latch onto Reyne’s gland. Grey used that sinful leather to keep his squirming mate in place. Reyne’s body arched, both wanting away from the over-stimulation and craving more of it. His mate’s mind was clearly blanking out as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. 

Grey’s greedy touch palmed his omega’s arousal. He wanted to be seated in his omega, he god near needed it. His omega was good to him- he needed to return the favor. 

Reyne stuttered a mantra of “Alpha.” Grey lifted his head to look his love in the eye, finding that the two points of affections was far too much for his love’s sanity. He was nearly convulsing under every brushing stroke, every breath that fleeted over his lust-heated skin. His omega had held back for him, now they were both reaping the rewards. 

“Let me take care of you, Little Omega.” Grey hushed darkly. The mere rumble in his chest sending Reyne into another bone shaking moan. Grey didn’t need to work his omega open for as long as he did. He, himself, didn’t even think he would be able to tame himself for so long. One incremental digit at a time. Lazily moving languidly over his mate’s walls and causing an abundance of slick. Reyne shivered incessantly, his nails digging into his alpha’s shoulders as those red orbs studied every expression on Reyne’s angelic face. 

“Fuck you.” Reyne groaned, unraveling into a panting mess before Grey eased the ministration just enough to keep Reyne from tumbling over the edge.

“Fuck you, and your fucking control, and your fucking knowing what you’re fucking doing.” Reyne hissed, malace far from his words. He was pleading for his alpha. Something he swore he would never do.

Here he was… hell. He wasn’t even in heat. 

Grey hummed thoughtfully, letting his warm breath wash teasingly over Reyne’s sensitive skin. He was promptly cursed up and down yet again. 

“I want to see your face,” Grey spoke like he was out of breath. “I want to drink in every moment I have you in ecstasy. And I want to drag it out for as long as humanly possible. We might even be late to work.” 

“Tomorrow’s Sunday-” whatever name Reyne was about to summon was cut out by a moan, Grey twisted his digit just right and effectively silenced the threat.

“I know.” Grey smiled darkly. “We still might be late.” Reyne panted a drawn out swear. 

True to his word, Reyne only continued to turn into a pleading puddle on the couch. He has since fallen backward over the arm of the sofa, his legs spread in display for his tease of a husband. Grey had completely shifted, the slow growth of his transformation almost unnoticeable until Reyne looked up to see the beast that was once his scruffy mutt. The sheer level of restraint this guy had was frustrating. Not even an omega was able to hold back for as long as this supposingly lust fueled beast that was alpha. 

“Want me to take care of you?” Grey teased in a voice that was dripping with deadly power. Reyne managed to lift one of his drunken hands to Grey’s collar. Grey seemed to notice the gesture, taking his omega’s hand carefully and placing right where Grey’s metallic clasp sat. Reyne held tightly to it, as if it was the only thing grounding him at the moment.

“I can still stop.” Grey promised, “I’m still here with you, Babe.” 

“You’re going to make me fucking beg proper, aren’t you?” Reyne snapped. A look border lining fear edging his faltering tease. Reyne didn’t expect to be lifted from the couch so suddenly, his arms wrapping around his alpha’s shoulders as Grey supported him by firm holds on his thighs. When Reyne had enough wits about himself, the cold press of a wall was behind his back, that sure strength of Grey under the seat of this thighs. Grey purred dark, hell damning promises as he pressed himself into his omega’s heat. 

Reyne wanted to scream, but he didn’t have the air. He was left with his mouth agape and his hands frantic as he was being wholly claimed by all the dominance of a feral alpha. Reyne, despite himself, was pushed into mentally begging for more- knowing if he had the air to do so, that was exactly what his alpha would do for him. Reyne could still gain control. Grey was his lion on a golden leash. 

That thought caused him to melt fully into that omega’s instinct and purely enjoy his alpha for every selfish reason he was allowed. 

“Such a beautiful omega.” Grey purred in a voice that wasn’t feral. One of his hands were pressed against the wall to hold himself up, while his other held the base of Reyne’s spine. They were knotted together, Reyne still flat backed against the wall. Had he blacked out? He remembers the white rush of electricity jolting his body into seizures of ecstasy. Between then and now, Grey was able to reverse his feral shift… was that even a challenge for someone like Grey though?

“We can… couch.” Reyne quickly figured out his voice was blown into squeaks and hoarse whispers. God, fucking, damnit Grey. 

“I move, it’ll hurt you. It’s okay- we can hang out here until we can separate.” Grey explained, an apologetic look crossing his face. 

“We’ve- m’d… like… before.” Reyne puffed his cheeks, looking Grey menacingly in the eye when the alpha had a chuckle threaten to surface. As to prove his point, Grey merely lifted Reyne’s leg higher onto his supporting hip. Reyne jerked instantly, his claws grasping for anything they could as it felt like a blade splitting his womb. 

“I knotted your canal.” Grey nosed apologetically into Reyne’s furrowed brows. “And, I kind’a left you over sensitized.” 

Reyne tried to rouse his growl, instead a squeak that sounded like a pup’s purr started. The attempt was promptly canceled and he resorted to a stern scowling instead. 

“I’ll get you all comfortable and safe in bed soon.” Grey smiled softly, “Where you can steal all the blankets for your ‘not a nest.’ And, I’ll be able to wrap around you like a good husband, holding you as you fall asleep in your very… unconventional afterglow.” 

____________________

Grey had the unwelcome alarm at an ungodly hour by a very verbally demanding feline named Skechers. The Siamese was sat just inches from his face, the cat’s whiskers brushing up against Grey’s nose as the cat put every ounce of lung capacity into every “Mrow” it was screaming.

Skechers wanted yums, and Skechers wanted yums now. 

“Go bug Daddy.” Grey groaned, “He can’t actually say ‘no.’” The cat relentlessly yowled again. This time, Grey sucked a sure breath, yowling at full volume right back at the demanding feline. A pillow swiftly swatted both screamers, just a limp, defluffed down flop of an abused pillow. Reyne didn’t even attempt to retrieve his weapon of choice, having harbored three more over the course of the night. Skechers promptly fled the scene, his startled cry cut short by feathers. 

“Since you’re up. Mind feeding the cat?” Reyne mumbled, unimpressed by Grey’s antics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters are going up today, the one you just read, and the one *hopefully* in the link below.
> 
> Thank you thank you for your continued curiosities and support.  
> Didn't think I'd make it this far, then actually be all sad when it was suppose to end.
> 
> I don't think I'll ever stop writing -per say- I've done this thing called elaborate daydreaming for years, If others can have some entertainment or worth out of it, I guess it is selfish of me to keep it all to myself.
> 
> The Comments are forever open for raging~

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to everyone that put up with me consistently as I was trying to figure out how to do this! You are absolutely amazing people and your feedback has help this grow exponentially!! Thank you~  
> ♡♡♡  
> PotatoWolf2112  
> Ino  
> Ars_Matron  
> Omegatrash124


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